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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 cataclysm
The first five mass extinctions were triggered by cataclysms such as super volcano eruptions and the impact of a massive asteroid.
—
Keridwen Cornelius, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The Leftovers, which ran for four seasons on three seasons, followed the aftermath of a global cataclysm that results in the unexplained disappearance of 140 million people, finds Kevin (Theroux), a police officer and father, relocated to a small Texas town from Mapleton, New York.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 2 June 2025
Some plants are quiet survivors, outlasting cataclysms that reshaped the planet itself.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The Black Death, the bubonic plague that tore into England in 1348, was — this should not need saying — a cataclysm.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Keridwen Cornelius, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The Leftovers, which ran for four seasons on three seasons, followed the aftermath of a global cataclysm that results in the unexplained disappearance of 140 million people, finds Kevin (Theroux), a police officer and father, relocated to a small Texas town from Mapleton, New York.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 2 June 2025
Some plants are quiet survivors, outlasting cataclysms that reshaped the planet itself.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The Black Death, the bubonic plague that tore into England in 1348, was — this should not need saying — a cataclysm.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cataclysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cataclysm
Noun
-
When heavy rain occurs, there is a risk of flooding, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone regions.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
-
Indonesia’s Other Headache: Long before Trump wielded tariffs as a weapon to punish Indonesia, the country was fighting back a flood of cheap Chinese goods.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Given the massive upheaval in Bieber’s life and business affairs, a brand new team around him, and his longest-ever wait in between records, industry insiders watched closely last week, wondering how Bieber would fare in the most-consequential era of his career to date.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
-
The Dignity Act comes in the wake of that upheaval.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Low-water crossings and small creeks became raging torrents, sweeping away roads, cabins, and vehicles.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
-
Recent flash flooding in Texas, New Mexico and North Carolina is highlighting the extreme dangers that these raging torrents of water can bring to communities in a matter of minutes.—
July 9,
CBS News,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
For these communities and others like them (our thoughts are with the people of Central Texas), several days of disaster usually means years of arduous reconstruction.—
Louis Gritzo,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Additionally, the general public came to mistrust and reject nuclear energy projects, further disillusioned by the Three Mile Island disaster.—
Time,
Time,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
This will be difficult as the country’s economy is less broad-based compared with India and less cohesive compared with Sri Lanka, which has smartly recovered from its own revolution in 2022.—
Vasuki Shastry,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
-
On the one hand, as Tevye is fond of saying, the story unfolds in a hardscrabble shtetl in the Ukrainian plains in the months leading up to the Russian Empire’s abortive 1905 revolution.—
David Lyman,
The Enquirer,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
If the answer was yes, then the jobs apocalypse might arrive sooner than even Amodei had predicted.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
27 June 2025
-
Like yesterday, and the days before, she is interred in the ground up to her waist, the afterthought of some unnamed apocalypse.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
On Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a flurry of small earthquakes shook the Iliamna volcano on June 15.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
-
While much of America has moved past COVID-19, the pandemic that hit the industry like an earthquake continues to experience aftershocks.—
Alexander Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
As the climate crisis accelerates, producing more frequent and devastating tragedies, our leaders must offer more than thoughts and prayers.—
Brian Recker,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
-
In later years, Francis took extended breaks from music due to tragedy.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cataclysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cataclysm. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share