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
Their eastern swing wasn’t just an 0-4-0 debacle that finished without Troy Terry (upper-body injury, doubtful for Monday) and Jacob Trouba (personal reasons, likely for Monday).
—
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
How much of this late-season collapse and Saturday’s season-ending debacle — blowing an 11-point lead with less than five minutes left — is on the head coach?
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Jordan Phillips was good (per Pro Football Focus) in Sunday’s debacle in New England, but serious questions remain about Kenneth Grant.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Elsewhere, much of the Global South, not least India, seeks closer ties with China due to the tariff debacle.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 12 Jan. 2026
How much of this late-season collapse and Saturday’s season-ending debacle — blowing an 11-point lead with less than five minutes left — is on the head coach?
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Jordan Phillips was good (per Pro Football Focus) in Sunday’s debacle in New England, but serious questions remain about Kenneth Grant.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
Elsewhere, much of the Global South, not least India, seeks closer ties with China due to the tariff debacle.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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More than a year after the disaster, which killed all but two people on board, much is still unclear about why the passenger jet crash landed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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The councilwoman emphasized that every neighborhood in Los Angeles is just one disaster from devastation.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Patients’ failure to take their medicine as prescribed is a major challenge that contributes to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths and billions of dollars in health care costs annually.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Continue reading … SKIDDING TO SAFETY – All plane tires burst on Boeing 767 during harrowing landing failure.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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How messy could this negotiation get with his agent, David Mulugheta, who also represented Micah Parsons in that fiasco last offseason?—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Jan. 2026
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Then came the shocking fiasco in New Orleans, a 40-22 loss to the Eagles.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Reactions to this tragedy from friends on social media align completely with their political persuasions.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
15 Jan. 2026
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Thirasak Wongsoongnern, a member of staff on the train, told local media outlet Thairath Online, that the train had been traveling at around 74mph when the tragedy occurred, according to the BBC.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Netflix 'The Life of Chuck' Based on the Stephen King novella, director Mike Flanagan's supremely joyous character study – the best movie of 2025 – involves an apocalypse, multiple dance extravaganzas and a haunted attic.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
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That goal is seemingly the only hope for humanity against the decay of everything around them and the increasingly violent nature of many remaining humans (think early Mad Max apocalypse sensibility).—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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