debacle

noun

dē-ˈbä-kəl How to pronounce debacle (audio)
variants also débâcle
Definition of debaclenext
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

Relevance

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of debacle After hiring away half of Fickell’s staff the past few seasons, there’s probably a healthy animosity between the coaches that locks Freeman into a mode that prevents a Northern Illinois or Marshall or Stanford type of debacle. — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 21 July 2026 The whole debacle left me shaking my head like a Waldorf and Statler-style old-timey crank, openly nostalgic for a time in which music took up more space, demanded more of us, and didn’t have to be so uplifting. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 But there can be risks, like last year’s debacle at Cracker Barrel. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 17 July 2026 As mentioned earlier, a key contributor to this debacle is its complexity. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
  1. disaster
  2. failure
  3. catastrophe
  4. fiasco
  5. tragedy
  6. apocalypse
Noun
  • Established by Congress in 1990, TPS gives temporary protection to people who don’t feel safe returning to countries plagued by disaster or armed conflict such as El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • That was, frankly, ridiculous, and our coverage said as much, arguing that this deep dive into one of Hollywood’s most notorious genre disasters deserved a much wider release.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • The letter argues that openness prevents lock-in and that concentrating capability creates single points of failure.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • For Luis Javier Santos, the former head of UFERCO who investigated the case against Hernández, the former leader’s return represents a failure to prosecute him for his crimes, rather than a chance for justice.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • California suffered a near catastrophe on pension debt during the great recession.
    — Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 25 July 2026
  • Members are also holding weekly evening vigils at the parish to draw attention to this latest Eastside environmental catastrophe.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • Several cruise fans flocked to Reddit to discuss the fork fiasco.
    — Perri Ormont Blumberg, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2026
  • Nevada’s detractors argued that vote-counting there could take days, creating a fiasco in which the winner isn’t immediately known.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Definition of fiasco
Noun
  • The film’s story is said to follow a young dancer at an elite ballet school who finally earns the lead in a prestigious recital, but her focus is shattered by a family tragedy.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 July 2026
  • Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences are with the families, friends, classmates, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • Long before OpenAI broke out of its test corral and hacked into Hugging Face, before the internet and Sam Altman were even born, Cameron wrote a screenplay about an autonomous artificial intelligence system that triggers a nuclear apocalypse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • The simulator has options such as target practice, zombie apocalypse and even real-life self-defense scenarios.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
Definition of apocalypse

Browse Nearby Words

deb
debacle
debacles
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on debacle

Nglish: Translation of debacle for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of comely

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All