as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune a fateful encounter with a confidence man that they would long regret
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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 fateful Notably, when Tareq is scammed, Nicky brokers a deal with Ivan and Andrei that drags him back into the crime ring, which prompts the fateful trip to Miami. —
Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 After losing her job and her boyfriend, Jamie retreats to her small hometown in Texas, where her friends and memories of a fateful summer in high school turn her life upside down. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026 Police allege that on the fateful afternoon, three Norteños ran into three rival Fremont Sureños at the convenience store, resulting in a fistfight and then the shooting. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026 Nearly nine years after that fateful meeting in London, their chemistry is still apparent. —Carey Purcell, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fateful
Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026 After losing her job and her boyfriend, Jamie retreats to her small hometown in Texas, where her friends and memories of a fateful summer in high school turn her life upside down. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026 Police allege that on the fateful afternoon, three Norteños ran into three rival Fremont Sureños at the convenience store, resulting in a fistfight and then the shooting. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026 Nearly nine years after that fateful meeting in London, their chemistry is still apparent. —Carey Purcell, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fateful
Adjective
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Many similar blunders have been recorded in years past, including arguably the worst example, a disastrous decision three decades ago to overhaul how electricity was produced, distributed and priced.— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
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This is disastrous and very concerning for the future of San Diego, which is going to lose jobs at an unparalleled pace given the presence of artificial intelligence.— U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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James Ernest Hitchcock, 70, is scheduled to received a lethal injection for his conviction in the fatal beating and choking of his 13-year-old niece.— David Fischer, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Tuesday announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI’s ChatGPT, due to concerns that the platform aided the suspect accused of carrying out a fatal school shooting in the state.— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Mikey never ended up doing anything beyond flirting, but his unfortunate turn of phrase was all Sydney needed to begin exploring her options in the villa.— Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
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The Charlotte Hornets received an unfortunate reminder Friday night in their last home game of the regular season.— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Though not as big or catastrophic as the asteroid theorized to have wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, Apophis would cause widespread destruction up to several hundred kilometers from its impact site.— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
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Through skilled diplomacy, a catastrophic war was avoided.— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/fateful. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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