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 loser
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debacle
That fantasy floor is plenty appealing first overall — especially after last year’s McCaffrey debacle.
—
Gary Davenport, New York Times, 31 July 2025
During the unending debacle of Vietnam, the public had lost faith in grand ventures dreamed up by whiz kids.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
The one-time Pizzagate promoter, who was a participant in Bondi’s binder debacle in February, took a page out of Trump’s playbook in seeking to paint one of the president’s enemies as somehow involved in an Epstein coverup.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025
View on Threads Her Threads post about the debacle quickly gained traction, amassing 121,000 views.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Gary Davenport, New York Times, 31 July 2025
During the unending debacle of Vietnam, the public had lost faith in grand ventures dreamed up by whiz kids.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
The one-time Pizzagate promoter, who was a participant in Bondi’s binder debacle in February, took a page out of Trump’s playbook in seeking to paint one of the president’s enemies as somehow involved in an Epstein coverup.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025
View on Threads Her Threads post about the debacle quickly gained traction, amassing 121,000 views.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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The assessment will inform a potential request by Gov. Tony Evers for a presidential disaster declaration, which would unlock federal aid.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Federal and state agencies have said little on whether immigration enforcement would be suspended in a disaster.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But the Trump administration’s announcement of an 8.9 percent equity stake in chipmaker Intel is a reminder that government mostly picks losers.—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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Losers Legacy firms struggling to adapt: In the losers camp, meanwhile, Ives names design software firm Adobe and chipmaker Intel as some of the stocks to avoid.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The death toll was exacerbated because the levees in New Orleans were breached, a failure blamed afterward on engineering flaws and cost-saving measures by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when they were built.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
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Stock markets in South Korea and Vietnam also plunged on the failure of the summit to reach an agreement.—
Anthony Kuhn,
NPR,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, in posts on the private Facebook page Lake Country 411, family members and friends were among those commenting on the tragedy, especially in relation to a GoFundMe account set up in early June to help Whitney Decker pay for funeral costs and other financial burdens.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Most tragedies involving missing hikers are preventable, one expert says.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
23 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But the oil field fiasco underscores the challenges China faces in achieving its goals.—
Anthony Kuhn,
NPR,
29 Aug. 2025
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Netflix released a documentary on the fiasco in 2019.—
Marcus Smith,
Sacbee.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There are references to the pocket universe calamity that almost destroyed Metropolis.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Choir volunteer Heidi Swinton noted in a release that the program has weathered multiple calamities over the years, including the Great Depression and the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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