Synonyms of cataclysms

cataclysms

noun

plural of cataclysm

1

as in floods

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

• floods
• torrents
• inundations
• tides
• avalanches
• streams
• deluges
• blizzards
• influxes
• rivers
• flood tides
• cataracts
• spates
• overflows
• baths
• Niagaras
• waterfalls
• cloudbursts
• currents
• alluvions
• outflows
• outpourings
• cascades
• inflows
• excesses
• fluxes
• washouts
• surpluses
• flushes
• discharges
• gluts
• gushes
• surfeits
• overages
• engulfments
• oversupplies
• overabundances
• superfluities
• overmuch
• overkills
• superabundances

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• droughts
• drips
• trickles
• dribbles

2

as in disasters

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

• disasters
• catastrophes
• apocalypses
• calamities
• tragedies
• accidents
• collapses
• crashes
• debacles
• upheavals
• fatalities
• casualties
• bloodbaths
• convulsions
• end-times
• misfortunes
• meltdowns
• doomsdays
• Armageddons
• paroxysms
• blows
• misadventures
• mishaps
• mischances
• double whammies
• blasts
• one-twos

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• windfalls
• godsends
• mannas

3

as in upheavals

a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)

a social cataclysm that gave rise to a new world order

Synonyms & Similar Words

• upheavals
• earthquakes
• revolutions
• insurrections
• storms
• convulsions
• revolts
• uprisings
• tempests
• turmoils
• rebellions
• paroxysms
• tumults
• mutinies
• eruptions
• uproars
• insurgencies
• upsets
• outbursts
• outbreaks
• bouleversements
• subversions
• commotions
• spasms
• stirs
• seizures
• overthrows
• rows
• overturns
• coils
• squalls
• fits
• ructions
• furors
• bustles
• routs
• flare-ups
• stews
• bluster
• welters
• williwaws
• furores
• pandemoniums
• ruckuses
• rumpuses
• to-dos
• bobberies
• shindys
• hullabaloos
• hubbubs
• hurly-burlies
• fusses

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cataclysms

The destruction of the ozone layer would allow hazardous ultraviolet radiation to rain down on the planet, adding to the series of climate cataclysms that would threaten civilization and most life on Earth. — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

These include supernovae and other cataclysms, such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), some of which arise from colliding black holes or neutron stars and are among the most powerful explosions in the universe. — Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 July 2026

These cataclysms locked inside the Delaware Basin more than 46 billion barrels of technically recoverable crude oil, and 281 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. — Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026

And star-formation will continue for trillions of years, providing new lights in the sky and new chances for cataclysms like supernovae, kilonovae, and tidal disruption events. — Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026

At the universe's grandest scales, galaxy clusters collide in slow-motion cataclysms, leaving behind immense, ghostly arcs — vast ribbons of diffuse radio emissions that can stretch across millions of light-years. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 21 Nov. 2025