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
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Recent Examples of debacle
Regardless, the damage is so done, and ABC is reportedly set to lose tens of millions of dollars in this debacle.
—
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
This whole debacle necessitated some time spent in the county jail and another stint in rehab.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
But her candidacy is haunted by Joe Biden’s 2024 debacle.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
From an American perspective, the upside of Spurs’ humiliation is that Mauricio Pochettino, who was there to witness his old team’s debacle, won’t be rushing to reacquaint himself with that coaching job.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
This whole debacle necessitated some time spent in the county jail and another stint in rehab.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
But her candidacy is haunted by Joe Biden’s 2024 debacle.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
From an American perspective, the upside of Spurs’ humiliation is that Mauricio Pochettino, who was there to witness his old team’s debacle, won’t be rushing to reacquaint himself with that coaching job.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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Hefty extra wattage is apparently needed to keep the Mar-a-Lago lights on in the event of an unforeseen disaster such as a war, or flying sports court glass, or a late ketchup delivery.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Only instead of the flood of a players’ strike, this time the disaster will come cloaked in the fire of an owners’ lockout.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In 2023, the number dropped significantly, even as supervision failures within jails persisted, down to 63.—
Ryan Oehrli
April 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
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Prosecutors also cited Cortez Johnson's prior probation violations, failures to appear, and past convictions.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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To hear the critics’ version of events, an unprovoked and unnecessary attack on Iran, launched at Israel’s behest, is already a foreign-policy fiasco that has put the global economy at risk without any clear objective or endgame.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Now, because of his imprudent and inaccurate sloganeering, even with a majority of his appointees sitting on the board, the mayor faces the prospect of a legal and political fiasco that implicates the honesty of his most prominent promise to his constituents.—
Christian Browne,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Garland died in 1969, of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills, but the tragedy did not hamper Minnelli’s ascent.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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In a snippet from the interview shared Wednesday, March 25, Guthrie shared her agony more than 50 days into the tragedy.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And while many shudder at the idea of an AI job apocalypse, others are leveraging the technology to answer complex questions.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Searches for the phrase job apocalypse are spiking.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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