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
Perfect atmospheric mix for ferocious storm The atmospheric stew that gave birth to the ferocious cataclysm was literally a perfect storm.
—
John O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Other stellar cataclysms can also produce stellar remnants.
—Big Think, 18 Mar. 2025
The effect can't be explained by lava temperatures alone, but rather a different event from the cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
So, the researchers have theorized that a super-heated ash cloud that dissipated quickly was actually the first event in the Vesuvius cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
John O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Other stellar cataclysms can also produce stellar remnants.
—Big Think, 18 Mar. 2025
The effect can't be explained by lava temperatures alone, but rather a different event from the cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
So, the researchers have theorized that a super-heated ash cloud that dissipated quickly was actually the first event in the Vesuvius cataclysm.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
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Constructed in the later half of the 19th century, the building has weathered fire, flood, abandonment—and even ghosts.—
Valerie Fraser Luesse,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2025
-
For more than four decades, the state of the climate has been part of the national conversation—especially when severe weather events linked to a warming world such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and hurricanes occur.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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She's recently had to cope with a considerable amount of upheaval due to the work being done on the property.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Wall Street banks just posted their biggest-ever haul from stock trading as the opening months of President Donald Trump’s tenure led to upheavals across asset classes — and the need for institutional investors around the world to position themselves for a new regime.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Campos Mello broke a series of stories about businessmen who were financing a torrent of WhatsApp messages that denigrated Haddad.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
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Hub’s new gig unleashes a torrent of comically exaggerated gore and populates his world with even more colorful characters.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Last month, the EU Commission urged its 450 million citizens to stockpile enough food, water and essentials for 72 hours in the event of emergencies like cyberattacks, climate disasters, disease and also geopolitical conflicts.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
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The disaster led to passage of the Federal Coal Mine and Safety Act, which in turn added the miners' surveillance program under the respiratory health division at NIOSH.—
Yuki Noguchi,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Scully, Sand, and the Brotherhood were determined to flood the market, bringing the price of revolution back down to earth.—
John Semley,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The real revolution in the space economy isn't rockets.—
Reema Khan,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The exquisite adaptation of the popular video game delivered a stunning first season in early 2023 that reanimated the zombie apocalypse genre.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The Bondsman never seems to know quite how seriously to take the state of Hub’s soul, or the looming possibility of apocalypse, or all the many, many deaths along the way.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Shocked by this week’s earthquake, zoo elephants formed an ‘alert circle’ to protect their young at San Diego Zoo Get ready for the L.A. Times Festival of Books Our annual book festival is next weekend!—
Alyssa Bereznak,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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Cuts to American aid under President Donald Trump have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation — one which has reached catastrophic levels following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28.—
Emily Fishbein, Hpan Ja Brang,
The Dial,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These events devastate local communities not just as the tragedy unfolds but in its aftermath.—
Shoshi Parks,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
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Instagram comment sections are flooded with hearts and flowers; the media memorializes a tragedy.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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