variants
or cataclysmic
1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a cataclysmal decision to plunge the nation into war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a cataclysmal landslide that virtually wiped out the village
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3
as in turbulent
marked by sudden or violent disturbance
the French Revolution was one of the great cataclysmal events in modern history
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cataclysmal
In its many guises, idolatry has survived, despite regular and often cataclysmic proof of its dangers, for centuries and many people will consider a much-larger-than-life golden statue of a president to be perfectly splendid.
—
Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The lush biodiversity of South America's rainforests is rooted in one of the most cataclysmic events that ever struck Earth.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
From directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the sci-fi dramedy follows Ryan Gosling as a brainy school teacher who is sent into space to save the Sun from a cataclysmic blackout.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
Public resistance flared after the cataclysmic 1986 Chernobyl and 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdowns.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
The result would be the cataclysmic breakup of a country of 240 million people.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Article continues below The burst of activity that formed NGC 2359 — also known as Thor's Helmet — is merely the precursor to the cataclysmic natural light show to follow, when the ageing Wolf-Rayet star ends its life in a supernova explosion that will reshape the nearby interstellar environment.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
In the same way that the Romans saw the return of Halley’s Comet as a harbinger of cataclysmic change, maybe people in Hollywood should consult their local soothsayer when Valerie Cherish’s red wig appears on the horizon.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The former are knee-deep into climate-change politics, which is all about shifting power to planners to forestall some cataclysmic scenario that the experts claim is inevitable.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
The lush biodiversity of South America's rainforests is rooted in one of the most cataclysmic events that ever struck Earth.
—Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
From directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the sci-fi dramedy follows Ryan Gosling as a brainy school teacher who is sent into space to save the Sun from a cataclysmic blackout.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
Public resistance flared after the cataclysmic 1986 Chernobyl and 2011 Fukushima nuclear meltdowns.
—ABC News, 25 Mar. 2026
The result would be the cataclysmic breakup of a country of 240 million people.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Article continues below The burst of activity that formed NGC 2359 — also known as Thor's Helmet — is merely the precursor to the cataclysmic natural light show to follow, when the ageing Wolf-Rayet star ends its life in a supernova explosion that will reshape the nearby interstellar environment.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
In the same way that the Romans saw the return of Halley’s Comet as a harbinger of cataclysmic change, maybe people in Hollywood should consult their local soothsayer when Valerie Cherish’s red wig appears on the horizon.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The former are knee-deep into climate-change politics, which is all about shifting power to planners to forestall some cataclysmic scenario that the experts claim is inevitable.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysmal
Adjective
-
Duke appeared to be too much for the Huskies, who went more than five minutes without scoring during a disastrous first-half stretch to fall behind, 44-25.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
-
And years later, when the group splintered into increasingly militant factions, some took part in a disastrous bank robbery that killed an innocent guard and two police officers—three men who were just doing their jobs that day, and who left behind their own kids, their own families.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Just days later, Duke suffered a devastating loss with a Final Four berth on the line.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, including a potentially devastating and dangerous mission to excavate uranium from the country.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The area's geography of tall seaside cliffs and sharp mountain ridges can contribute to turbulent air and quick weather changes that pose hazards for aviation.—
JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Three people were killed when a tour helicopter broke apart near Honolulu in April 2019, and that December seven people died, including three children, when one crashed in turbulent weather near the Na Pali Coast.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That is the highest-level designation for severe accidents, placing it alongside the fatal Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003) shuttle disasters in terms of gravity.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The cause of that fatal accident remains under investigation.—
Anna McAllister,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That house has a history of unfortunate events, including the fate of Cookie, an errant heiress and her pooch.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The start of 2026 has been a series of unfortunate events for Michelle Harris and her family.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The team’s approach effectively enabled non-destructive quality control.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
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Indonesia’s meteorological agency lifted its tsunami warning hours after the quake, and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there was no destructive threat to the country, which is north of the quake’s epicenter.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Much like with the newspaper industry, the internet has had a similar impact on radio stations, just not quite as catastrophic.—
Mac Engel
April 2,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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Most notably — and most devastatingly — Woods was involved in a one-car rollover crash in Los Angeles in February 2021, which left him with catastrophic leg injuries.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysmal. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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