1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
I made the fatal mistake of sharing my secret with the office's biggest blabbermouth
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
that snake's venom is fatal unless the victim is given the antidote almost immediately
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fatal
In the aftermath of Hinton's arrest, members of his family distanced themselves from his actions and instead hired an attorney to conduct a review of the fatal police shooting of his son, Ryan Hinton.
—
David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025
North Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and Oklahoma have all seen fatal strikes.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
An attack in Boulder, Colorado, in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., in May, are two recent incidents of anti-Jewish violence that have rocked communities in the U.S.
Advertisement
Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 5 July 2025
Most had gone to sleep by the time of the fatal brawl.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatal
David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025
North Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and Oklahoma have all seen fatal strikes.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
An attack in Boulder, Colorado, in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., in May, are two recent incidents of anti-Jewish violence that have rocked communities in the U.S.
Advertisement
Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 5 July 2025
Most had gone to sleep by the time of the fatal brawl.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fatal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatal
Adjective
-
And yes, it must also be said that domestic and feral cats have been disastrous to the world's biodiversity, having contributed to the extinction of 40 bird and 21 mammal species – 26% of the extinctions in these groups – since the 1600s.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 July 2025
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Hunt was the site of particularly disastrous flooding early in the morning on July 4, with officials saying the river swelled more than 20 feet in less than an hour and ultimately killed at least 103 people countywide, including dozens of children at a riverside summer camp called Camp Mystic.—
July 13,
CBS News,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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The ruling came following a three-day hearing in which experts on both sides testified as to how Black's heart device would react under lethal injection.—
Kelly Puente,
Nashville Tennessean,
19 July 2025
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Cyanide—painful, lethal, and surprisingly quotidian—was not the only darkroom risk.—
Anika Burgess
July 17,
Literary Hub,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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Wetlands need restoration to once again catch phosphorus that pours from extinct volcanoes and prevent the growth of deadly algae.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
15 July 2025
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Central Texas is still reeling from the destructive and deadly floodwaters, which were spurred by nearly unprecedented rainfall that swelled the Guadalupe River, drowning portions of the state's Hill Country.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Instead, like so many unfortunate accidents since cell phones were invented, this was caused by a distracted driver.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
14 July 2025
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Fortunately for him, that gaffe will be a little easier to live down than Teal and Weinberg’s unfortunate comments.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fatal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatal. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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