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
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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
For iPhone: Coming Next Week, A New Era For The iPhone
Champions League final debacle a bitter blow for Inter
His forecast proved prescient, as Inter returned to the final this season, a year after winning a 20th league title in style, the sixth major trophy under Inzaghi.
—
Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
However, the Canucks seem to want to give Pettersson — another lefty, by the way — another chance to right the ship next season with Adam Foote now running the bench and the Miller debacle fully in the rearview mirror.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Making his first appearance since that May 12 debacle, Houck looked much better.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 June 2025
Reforms often follow major debacles: for example, near the end of the Vietnam War, Congress enacted, over President Richard Nixon’s veto, the War Powers Resolution, which limited how long the president could deploy troops without congressional authorization.
—Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
However, the Canucks seem to want to give Pettersson — another lefty, by the way — another chance to right the ship next season with Adam Foote now running the bench and the Miller debacle fully in the rearview mirror.
—Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Making his first appearance since that May 12 debacle, Houck looked much better.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 June 2025
Reforms often follow major debacles: for example, near the end of the Vietnam War, Congress enacted, over President Richard Nixon’s veto, the War Powers Resolution, which limited how long the president could deploy troops without congressional authorization.
—Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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As someone takes on roles that have elements of power associated with it, that can be a recipe for disaster.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Lighting effects, which demonstrate how self-driving vehicles avoid disaster, may give vibes from Magic Kingdom’s Tron Lightcycle / Run coaster.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The winners of the Round of 16 games advance to the quarterfinals, while the losers move on to the classification games for places 9-16.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
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Lee’s sensitive, evolving turn as Gi-hun — deeply human amid the madness, paranoia and murder set in bright green and pink surroundings — has made the character the ideal litmus test for Hwang’s critique of an economic system designed to produce titanic winners and losers who face annihilation.—
Michael Ordoña,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
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Ensure your team members learn how to code securely, promote an approach where nobody is blamed after a failure, and value those who report issues quickly.—
Sai Sandeep Ogety,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Extreme heat can cause wiring insulation to deteriorate faster, leading to shorts or failures in electrical components.—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
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For past campers, the tragedy turned happy memories into grief.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 July 2025
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While most Americans celebrated Independence Day, a tragedy unfolded in Central Texas.—
The Editors,
National Review,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Word of the fiasco (and all the gory details) soon hit the media.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
25 June 2025
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The fiscal fiasco was built on the hallucinatory claim that California enjoyed a $97.5 billion surplus.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 June 2025
Noun
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But for news publishers and journalists, another calamity was on the horizon.—
Alex Reisner,
The Atlantic,
25 June 2025
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Finally, there is the key role of the very well known, extremist conservative federal judge of Texas – a highly political judge – who virtually snatched Boeing calamity as a felonious government contractor.—
Charles Tiefer,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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