as in disasters
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
this latest breakdown of the car is inconvenient, but not a calamity
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Recent Examples of calamities
Its namesake bell, changed out for a siren in the 1920s, was meant to avoid such calamities in the future.
—
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
The Biden administration, to be fair, had less time to deal with America’s deeper health issues, because it was forced to deal with at least a few calamities.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2024
Some of those calamities were self-inflicted.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2024
The song powerfully captured Piaf’s own perseverance through a troubled life that included being abandoned at birth and raised in a brothel, only to endure an adulthood marked by personal calamities, physical ailments and drug and alcohol use before her death at 47 in 1963.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Amid the calamities of the pandemic, these wealthy leaders wanted to support Asian American causes.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024
The issue is that the disaster fund has already been partly depleted from dealing with earlier calamities, including floods, tornadoes, and wildfires.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
The agency’s funding for disaster aid is stretched, but that is because of the many parts of the country dealing with the effects of hurricanes, wildfires, and other calamities.
—David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2024
The agency’s funding for disaster aid is stretched because of the many parts of the country dealing with the effects of hurricanes, wildfires and other calamities.
—Colleen Long and Ayanna Alexander, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2024
Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
The Biden administration, to be fair, had less time to deal with America’s deeper health issues, because it was forced to deal with at least a few calamities.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2024
Some of those calamities were self-inflicted.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2024
The song powerfully captured Piaf’s own perseverance through a troubled life that included being abandoned at birth and raised in a brothel, only to endure an adulthood marked by personal calamities, physical ailments and drug and alcohol use before her death at 47 in 1963.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Amid the calamities of the pandemic, these wealthy leaders wanted to support Asian American causes.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024
The issue is that the disaster fund has already been partly depleted from dealing with earlier calamities, including floods, tornadoes, and wildfires.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
The agency’s funding for disaster aid is stretched, but that is because of the many parts of the country dealing with the effects of hurricanes, wildfires, and other calamities.
—David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2024
The agency’s funding for disaster aid is stretched because of the many parts of the country dealing with the effects of hurricanes, wildfires and other calamities.
—Colleen Long and Ayanna Alexander, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for calamities
Noun
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In the past few years, the platform has enabled participants to have a real-time snapshot of port and inland network congestion and monitor unexpected cargo shifts caused by disasters like the Baltimore Bridge collapse, and world events, such as the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
23 Dec. 2024
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Overall, there’s $110 billion for a number of disasters – Helene, Hurricane Milton, Typhoon Mawar, tornadoes and wildfires – within the American Relief Act 2025, also known as House Resolution 10545.—
Alan Wooten | The Center Square,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This spaceplane would advance space exploration and satellite delivery until ultimately being retired following a series of high-profile and tragic catastrophes.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Dec. 2024
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Kenya grappled with one of its worst floods in recent history, the latest in a string of weather catastrophes, following weeks of extreme rainfall that scientists linked to a changing climate.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Violence was entrenched as a byproduct of a government that ignored the tragedies faced by those like Shirley Vasquez and her neighbors.—
Cary Goodman,
New York Daily News,
5 Jan. 2025
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In 1997, Peart was hit with the first of a double blast of tragedies.—
William Roberson,
Forbes,
4 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near calamities
Cite this Entry
“Calamities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/calamities. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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