ACCIDENT Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

accident

noun

ˈak-sə-dənt

Definition of accident

as in casualty

a chance and usually sudden event bringing loss or injury was involved in a minor accident on her way home from work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in luck

the uncertain course of events you shouldn't leave it to accident to decide where you'll be lodging in the course of your trip across the country

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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 accident To qualify, drivers must win a top placement at their state competition, sport a clean, preventable accident-free safety record for the previous year, and meet full-time driving requirements with their company. — Alice Barlow, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to a GoFundMe supporting Ashley Taunton, a Connecticut mother of three who suffered life-threatening injuries while helping strangers after a car accident in Rhode Island. — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2026 Taylor Swift has donated $50,000 to help a Rhode Island mother who was left seriously injured in a car accident last month, NBC News has confirmed. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026 According to the fundraising page, Taunton saw someone in need after a car accident and pulled over during a heavy rainstorm to help. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accident

Recent Examples of Synonyms for accident

Noun

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said there were Jordanians among the casualties, without providing a toll.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
In its war against Ukraine, Russia has also demonstrated a high tolerance for military casualties.

— Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of casualty

Noun

Below, find last-chance deals on summer sandals, fall-ready booties, ultra-cute ballet flats, and more for up to 79 percent off.

— Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
The chances of flash flooding within 25 miles of any location in Jefferson and Hardin counties had increased to a moderate risk of 40% to 69%, Jones said.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of chance

Noun

Summary Coastal and high-risk hotels face soaring insurance premiums, up 45-100%, as natural catastrophe losses escalate.

— Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
That didn’t stop catastrophes like the 2018 fire in the Sierra foothills that destroyed the town of Paradise and killed 85.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

Other complicating factors can include things like child custody, income, housing and other circumstances that can make domestic survivors feel stuck.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Biz2Credit also considers the circumstances, particularly for seasonal businesses or companies seeking financing to smooth out short-term cash flow irregularities.

— Carson Brunson, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of circumstance

Noun

An American Airlines plane blew two tires while taxiing for departure at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration – the fourth tire mishap in a month at the airport.

— Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
The Marine Corps has not publicly confirmed that Simon’s F-18 struck power lines before the crash and has said the cause of the mishap remains under investigation.

— James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of mishap

Noun

The accident was one of the Portuguese capital’s worst tragedies in recent memory and cast a shadow over the city’s ongoing tourism boom.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
These days, the existential challenges faced by newspapers across the country sound more like a Shakespearean tragedy than a comedy.

— Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of tragedy

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accessory

accident

accidental

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“Accident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accident. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of accident

noun

Example Sentences

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'Accidental' vs. 'Incidental'

The Correct Use of 'Accident'

The Secret Histories of 'Catastrophe,'...

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