variants
also débâcle
1
as in disaster
a sudden violent event that brings about great loss or destruction
the financial debacle that was the stock market crash of 1929
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in failure
something that has failed
the movie, which some had predicted would be a blockbuster, turned out to be the summer's biggest debacle at the multiplexes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of debacle
Their Game 1 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals was a photo negative of the Pacers’ debacle.
—
Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The debacle results in an exploration of fathers and sons, male friendship and rivalry and the challenges of parenting in a burning world.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
The 2010 tournament, however, would end in a similar manner to the 2002 debacle, Aguirre coming under widespread criticism for starting forward Guillermo Franco, who at the time did not have a club, instead of rising Manchester United star Javier Hernández, a fan favorite known as Chicharito.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Roster needs are aplenty after a first-round playoff debacle in April.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 10 June 2026
The debacle results in an exploration of fathers and sons, male friendship and rivalry and the challenges of parenting in a burning world.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
The 2010 tournament, however, would end in a similar manner to the 2002 debacle, Aguirre coming under widespread criticism for starting forward Guillermo Franco, who at the time did not have a club, instead of rising Manchester United star Javier Hernández, a fan favorite known as Chicharito.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Roster needs are aplenty after a first-round playoff debacle in April.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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Aemond is a murderer, Aegon is a rapist; if either of them ends up on the Iron Throne for good, that would be a disaster.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
-
On the dusty backroads of Radiator Springs, where Lightning McQueen and his pals live, a shower of meteors threatened to bring destruction upon the quarter-size cars in a scene that disaster movie king Roland Emmerich would endorse.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Noun
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Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez also told CNN affiliate KGNS the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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After years of abject failures, underachievement or agonising near-misses, Tuchel was hired to end England’s wait for a major international men’s trophy, which now extends to 60 years.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Horrible things happen all the time, crises and catastrophes that defy language and imagination.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
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But if your concerned friend starts worrying about AI data centers literally causing a worldwide water catastrophe, the actual numbers involved should hopefully put those worries to rest.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Listen to Forte recall his fringe fiasco in the clip above.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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Still, even if Team Blue will likely win in the end, the California governor’s race has been a fiasco for Democrats from the start—and in ways that reflect an ongoing dysfunction that has become a feature of the party in recent years.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Netflix also has a pair of strong four-hour adaptations in the harrowing Lord of the Flies and the darkly comic political tragedy of Death by Lightning.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
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Since these leaks are invisible and odorless, a portable carbon monoxide detector is the only way to prevent a tragedy.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Could a jobs apocalypse be coming?—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
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First contact set on a future Earth trying to recover from a climate apocalypse.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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