cataclysms

noun

Definition of cataclysmsnext
plural of cataclysm
1
as in floods
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in disasters
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in upheavals
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order) a social cataclysm that gave rise to a new world order

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysms
  1. disasters
  2. torrents
  3. catastrophes
  4. tragedies
  5. calamities
Noun
  • One is Concord, a game that was almost instantly shut down by Sony after a spectacularly bad debut, one of the biggest gaming disasters in history.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The program offers members of the entertainment community and the public an immediate way to offer vital support to firefighters, first responders, and communities affected by disasters.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of disasters
Noun
  • The storm unleashed torrents of rain, significantly replenishing key water sources across the drought-prone state.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
  • The 31-year-old sherry bomb explodes in torrents of coconut and pineapple fruit before an unctuous, lingering finish of tobacco smoke.
    Brad Japhe, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Definition of torrents
Noun
  • 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
  • Tragically claiming 349 lives, the 737 MAX catastrophes revealed serious flaws in corporate governance and fundamental safety shortcomings.
    Jim Osman, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of catastrophes
Noun
  • Like the Civil War, like the Kennedy assassination and, one day, 9/11, tragedies once indelible in the minds of all Americans are destined to become one day less so.
    Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Policyholders who pay premiums in good faith are often left to navigate a system designed to exhaust and discourage them, compounding the pain of accidents, illnesses, and tragedies.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of tragedies
Noun
  • 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
Definition of calamities
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near cataclysms

cataclysmal

cataclysms

catacomb

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Cataclysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysms. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on cataclysms

Nglish: Translation of cataclysms for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...