CATASTROPHES Synonyms: 73 Similar and Opposite Words

catastrophes

noun

plural of catastrophe

as in disasters

a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction more than one natural catastrophe has threatened to destroy their farm over the years

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as in failures

something that has failed the movie was a catastrophe, nearly bankrupting the studio that produced it

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of catastrophes The result is a nation poorly prepared for what could be a long summer of catastrophes. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 There have been various nuclear blasts plus all of the global warming that’s been going on, various kinds of catastrophes. — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026 Healthcare registers the effects of climate catastrophes, ecosystem failures and food shortages that also fuel political and social crises. — Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 For example, that the economy is cratering, as was the case in Detroit, or that demand to live somewhere is falling for other reasons, like a rise in crime or natural catastrophes. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 23 June 2026 Hardening operations to withstand those catastrophes is imperative for lowering risk. — Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 24 June 2026 Prominent voices fear that the end result of the transformative technology is a job bloodbath and national security catastrophes, while others believe a new era of productivity is ready to be unlocked, with society living longer and healthier lives. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 3 July 2026 The program provides temporary humanitarian relief to people from countries experiencing war, natural disasters or other catastrophes. — Daniella Silva, NBC news, 26 June 2026 Additionally, companies appearing on negative lists related to sustainability issues, such as those identified as carbon majors or associated with environmental catastrophes, were automatically disqualified. — Time Staff, Time, 23 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for catastrophes

Noun

Cheap financial capital has flooded into the industry, lowering the cost of protecting against disasters, but Bäte thinks the trend cannot continue forever.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 3 July 2026
City leaders recognize the difficulty for families and communities dealing with vacant disasters.

— Bryant Reed, CBS News, 2 July 2026

Definition of disasters

Noun

According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of failures

Noun

Based on Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, the surrealist musical follows one nuclear family across thousands of years and three apocalypses.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.

— JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025

Definition of apocalypses

Noun

Beyond the solidarity such tragedies inspire and the accompanying political rhetoric, Rodríguez has little room to turn away any government willing to lend a hand during this crisis.

— Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Recent incidents across North Texas show just how quickly these tragedies unfold and why having a plan matters.

— William Jones, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026

Definition of tragedies

Noun

There have been few comments about improvements or calamities, other than the usual notes that battery life was reduced immediately after installation, which is commonplace.

— David Phelan, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
To grade the 50 states and the District of Columbia on their relative natural disaster risks, five measures were developed that account for the frequency and damage of calamities, weighted against population and geographic size.

— Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 21 June 2026

Definition of calamities

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catastrophe

catastrophes

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“Catastrophes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catastrophes. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of catastrophes

noun

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