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
The computer cataclysm that never happened is now enjoying a cultural moment, whether as a sight gag in Abbott Elementary, a plot device in The Righteous Gemstones, or as the theme of a new apocalyptic comedy aptly named Y2K.
—
Zachary Loeb / Made By History, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
Avatar: Seven Havens is set in a world shattered by a devastating cataclysm.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
This year’s Oscars are also taking place soon after a Los Angeles cataclysm.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2025
Throughout 150 years of boosterism, through our latest cataclysm of fires, the palm tree image makes visual geolocation instant and easy.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Zachary Loeb / Made By History, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
Avatar: Seven Havens is set in a world shattered by a devastating cataclysm.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2025
This year’s Oscars are also taking place soon after a Los Angeles cataclysm.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2025
Throughout 150 years of boosterism, through our latest cataclysm of fires, the palm tree image makes visual geolocation instant and easy.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
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Best Option Restoration is a nationally franchised disaster restoration business that handles wind and storm damage, fire damage, flood/water damage, and contents cleanout to residential and commercial customers.—
Ethan Stone,
USA TODAY,
25 Mar. 2025
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Brown saw 3 feet of water flood her home in a predominantly Black neighborhood that still shows damage from the storm.—
Jesse Coburn,
ProPublica,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Michael Jordan wears No. 45 in return to the Bulls For LaVine, the last few weeks of upheaval have offered perspective.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2025
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During his decades-long career in finance, Carney steered governments through major global crises and periods of upheaval.—
Max Saltman,
CNN,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And yet the current torrent, fuelled by years of planning in right-wing circles and by Trump’s demagogic energies, is hardly unstoppable.—
David Remnick,
The New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2025
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The daily torrent of push alerts, breaking news, and viral outrages has been relentless — and exhausting.—
Sean Collins,
Vox,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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However, he’s also had his share of expensive disasters, such as Joao Felix, Santiago Arias and Nikola Kalinić.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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All the while, he’s typically dressed in a form-fitting dress, a shoulder-length wig and heeled boots (because open-toed shoes around hatchets and augers could spell disaster).—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the picturesque landscape of England's Lake District, a whisky revolution is quietly unfolding.—
Mark Littler,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
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As the deep-tech revolution unfolds, startup studios are an efficient and structured way to build companies.—
Pierrick Bouffaron,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That backstory comes well before the suggestion of an imminent apocalypse that lends a dread-like quality to the trailer for a movie told in reverse chronological order.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Mar. 2025
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The horsemen of the SaaS apocalypse are productivity gains, structural changes in software and investor sentiment.—
Ron Williams,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The death toll from the devastating earthquake that rocked Burma and Thailand on Friday has risen sharply to more than 1,650 victims.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The death toll from an earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand continues to rise with one prediction that fatalities could exceed 100,000.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The rush occurred mere weeks before Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach’s planned announcement of their spa updates; the tragedy in Los Angeles simply moved up the timeline for the quiet, coastal community’s merits as a luxury wellness hub.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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And that March, tragedy struck when three people died in a fatal crowd surge at her concert with Finesse2tymes in Rochester, N.Y.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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