1
as in flood
a great flow of water or of something that overwhelms
an ancient cataclysm that may have been the basis for the Flood described in the Bible
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in catastrophe
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755, killing 30,000 people, was one of the greatest cataclysms ever recorded
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
a social cataclysm that gave rise to a new world order
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cataclysm
Barring a December cataclysm, strategists from Evercore ISI, Goldman Sachs, UBS and Wells Fargo Investment Institute were also proven too bearish this year.
—
Pia Singh, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
His rival Elon Musk envisions inhabiting space as a way for humanity to live on beyond Earth, if a cataclysm strikes our planet.
—Dave Lawler, Axios, 8 Dec. 2024
In summary, the scale of the national debt to worry about, is only 30% of the size of the topline number we all get bombarded with as the agent of the next economic cataclysm.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
In echoes of what contemporary Americans would face with Y2K 117 years later, some people feared the time change would bring a cataclysm.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Pia Singh, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
His rival Elon Musk envisions inhabiting space as a way for humanity to live on beyond Earth, if a cataclysm strikes our planet.
—Dave Lawler, Axios, 8 Dec. 2024
In summary, the scale of the national debt to worry about, is only 30% of the size of the topline number we all get bombarded with as the agent of the next economic cataclysm.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
In echoes of what contemporary Americans would face with Y2K 117 years later, some people feared the time change would bring a cataclysm.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
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The post has sparked a flood of reactions, with the overwhelming majority supporting the worker's decision.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
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The impressions stayed covered until 1908 when a massive flood roared down the Paluxy River and scraped the riverbed.—
Kristy Christiansen,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Social Security Administration leadership upheaval The Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, is not a federal department.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2025
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But, this season has been dominated by injuries and roster upheaval.—
Corey Masisak,
The Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Tensions were heightened between Russia and Washington during Joe Biden’s four-year tenure at the White House, as Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine prompted a torrent of U.S.-led international sanctions on Moscow’s elite and economy and pitted Russia and its allies against the West.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
25 Feb. 2025
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These exchanges made plain one of the challenges of running a superhero studio: Even the possibility of a new movie or a TV show featuring one of these characters — as a development projects that may never come to pass for a host of reasons — is enough to unleash a torrent of headlines.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The scope of the disaster grew clear as the orchestra began to reconnect.—
Thomas Curwen,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2025
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Weegee’s pictures of disaster, crime, and urban blight not only grabbed viewers’ attention but highlighted the ways in which passive spectatorship had come to dominate our lives as citizens.—
Naomi Fry,
The New Yorker,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The film follows Dormer as Dr. Audrey Evans, who is fighting her own revolution amidst the resistance to the Vietnam War in 1960s Philadelphia.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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Saint-Domingue would launch its own revolution for independence less than a decade later, in part inspired by the Americans’ victory.—
Danielle Amir Jackson,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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While most EVs seemed designed for a smaller, smoother future, the Cybertruck appears poised to help its owners survive a coming apocalypse in style and comfort.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA TODAY,
12 Feb. 2025
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Didn’t Die / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Meera Menon, Screenwriter and Producer: Paul Gleason, Producers: Erica Fishman, Joe Camerota, Luke Patton) –– A podcast host desperately clings to an ever-shrinking audience in the zombie apocalypse.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Reports of earthquake felt away from source (red star) on February 14, 2025.—
Ian Dexter Palmer,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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It’s believed the oarfish were sent from the palace toward the surface to warn people of earthquakes.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Ahead of the tragedy, Caribbean leaders met with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss the future of the mission amid its uncertain funding.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
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The cause of the maritime tragedy remains under investigation.—
Leah Sarnoff,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to cataclysm
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.
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