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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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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With existing sanctions on Russia and potentially new ones at stake, the eventual outcome of the Trump-Putin summit will create winners and losers in the energy space.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 Aug. 2025
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Legislative appropriations committees could — and did — secretly decide which bills would reach the floors of both houses and just announce the winners and losers without explanation.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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They've often been viewed as criminals, or their deportations as a failure.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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Humans and other animals can also contract it, with untreated cases leading to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, trouble breathing, and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Most tragedies involving missing hikers are preventable, one expert says.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
23 Aug. 2025
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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
Noun
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Netflix released a documentary on the fiasco in 2019.—
Marcus Smith,
Sacbee.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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The right-wing conspiracy theorist was aghast at Trump’s decision to try to pin blame for the Epstein fiasco on Democrats.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
Noun
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Administration officials are warning of calamity if courts remove the sweeping tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on emergency grounds.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Aug. 2025
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The menace isn’t invisible; rather, simply looking at the mysterious cause of this global calamity drives humans to suicide.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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