1
as in catastrophe
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
hurricanes are natural disasters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed
an utter disaster, the play opened and closed on the same miserable night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of disaster
There’s just something about a typically laconic Tig character and a stress-out Miranda that screams disaster.
—
Quispe López, Them., 28 May 2025
Cousins turned that mistake into a disaster last season by leading the NFL with 16 interceptions despite playing only the first 14 of the Falcons’ 17 games.
—Terence Moore, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
The current leaders of EMD, General Manager Carol Parks and Assistant General Manager Jim Featherstone, had specifically requested funding this spring to build an in-house recovery team to better equip the city for the Palisades recovery as well as future disasters.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Neither a disaster nor a misunderstood masterpiece, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. finds Ritchie having a total blast with the throwback material, adrenalizing the ’60s settings with cutting-edge action spectacle.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disaster
Quispe López, Them., 28 May 2025
Cousins turned that mistake into a disaster last season by leading the NFL with 16 interceptions despite playing only the first 14 of the Falcons’ 17 games.
—Terence Moore, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
The current leaders of EMD, General Manager Carol Parks and Assistant General Manager Jim Featherstone, had specifically requested funding this spring to build an in-house recovery team to better equip the city for the Palisades recovery as well as future disasters.
—Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Neither a disaster nor a misunderstood masterpiece, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. finds Ritchie having a total blast with the throwback material, adrenalizing the ’60s settings with cutting-edge action spectacle.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disaster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disaster
Noun
-
The narrative moves between Joan’s ascent through the ranks, including a love story as explosive as a rocket launch, and a mid-decade disaster reminiscent of the Challenger tragedy.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
-
Saar says the phrase refers to those seeking to export violence beyond the Middle East to places like America, making the D.C. shooting much more than a local tragedy.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
Building failures, from malfunctioning boilers and coolers to plumbing and roof leaks, are increasingly occurring, some of them during high-profile medical and tech conventions, the most recent just a couple of months ago.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 May 2025
-
The failure to adequately cover Biden’s decline points to a broader breakdown that has a simple explanation.—
Becket Adams,
National Review,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
As bad luck would have it, when Panahi’s film screened to critics this writer was trapped on an airplane as a minor apocalypse descended upon Nice airport.—
Thomas Page,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
-
And is vanilla cake easier in the zombie apocalypse because extract has a longer shelf life than cocoa powder?—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
The best way to overcome a year of disappointment is, of course, to challenge again, which is precisely the thought on Arteta’s mind.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
After a blockbuster offseason that included several win-now additions like Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Alex Bregman, the Red Sox have been a disappointment so far.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
Altogether, the strength of ticket sales for such a chaotic jumble of movies indicated a return from the brink after a cascading series of showbiz calamities stretching from the N95 era to the Hollywood strikes to the Los Angeles wildfires.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
-
With such a small team for a 469-square-mile city, EMD has struggled to staff its emergency operations center in crises, prepare for events like the 2028 Olympics and help residents recover from smaller-scale calamities like building fires, storms and mudslides.—
Matt Hamilton,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
Championship banners fill the gymnasium walls, most notably in football where Marcus Allen started a career that wound up with him hoisting the Heisman Trophy and his bust enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2025
-
In October 2020, during Trump’s first term in office, the federal government revealed its bust of the elaborate conspiracy to kidnap Whitmer, who had been criticized by right-wing politicians, including Trump, over her COVID-19 policies.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disaster. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share