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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysmal
Adjective
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If tax reform isn’t approached thoughtfully, the impact on those already facing significant challenges could be disastrous.—
Jack Salmon,
National Review,
14 Apr. 2025 -
Apple had seemed to resolve this with its Private Cloud Compute, but then its disastrous Apple Intelligence delays made all that somewhat academic for the time being at least.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Ragans paired his changeup, knuckle-curve and slider around the devastating fastball.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
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Search-and-rescue teams were seen working around the clock in the rubble of the once-thriving music venue, as the nation’s emergency operations director, Gen. Juan Manuel Méndez, confirmed the devastating toll.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Losses weren’t quite as dire as on Thursday for media and tech stocks, but the morning still signaled a glum end to a turbulent week.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
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From playing a spirited college student in All American: Homecoming to navigating the turbulent world of Snowfall, Williams has mastered the art of transformation.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Black lung, a debilitating and often fatal condition caused by inhalation of coal and silica dust during mining, affects roughly 1 in 5 miners who have worked in the Central Appalachian mines for twenty-five years or more, according to NIOSH.—
Dr. Mark Abdelmalek,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
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The day of the fatal fall, Goodwin said Bass had checked on Tidus and his brother minutes prior, and then had stepped outside with the dog.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Cataclysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysmal. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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