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
Her second, released this week, digs through the East Wing’s rubble to rescue that mythology from the debacle of 2024.
—
David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 June 2026
And of those three, Flo Rida has been conspicuously quiet about the whole debacle.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2026
Faulconer will always be remembered as the father of the 101 Ash Street debacle, the worst financial crisis in the city’s history.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
The Quibi debacle has not completely thawed that reticence.
—Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 June 2026
And of those three, Flo Rida has been conspicuously quiet about the whole debacle.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2026
Faulconer will always be remembered as the father of the 101 Ash Street debacle, the worst financial crisis in the city’s history.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
The Quibi debacle has not completely thawed that reticence.
—Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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When a catastrophic breach at Piney Point threatened Manatee County homes with a toxic flood and fueled an environmental disaster five years ago, state leaders promised to clean up the mess with up to $200 million.—
Ryan Ballogg,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
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Not allowing insurance companies to shift profits to out-of-state subsidiaries would save me more money than this disaster.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Semiconductor maker Texas Instruments has introduced a new battery monitoring chip designed to give electric vehicles and energy storage systems earlier warning of battery failures while reducing the number of components required inside battery packs.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
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Nothing majorly dramatic happens, no one flames out in the kitchen, no dish is an absolute failure.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
Noun
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The company was formed in the aftermath of 9/11 to sell terrorism and catastrophe property insurance.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
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Then there were climate catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina, the normalization of active shooter drills at their schools and a worldwide pandemic.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Listen to Forte recall his fringe fiasco in the clip above.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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Still, even if Team Blue will likely win in the end, the California governor’s race has been a fiasco for Democrats from the start—and in ways that reflect an ongoing dysfunction that has become a feature of the party in recent years.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
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With swift footwork, Bottura activates his celebrity to focus the world’s attention on the tragedy in Modena.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Formed by Duane and Gregg Allman in the late 1960s, the Allman Brothers Band became one of the most influential and popular American rock bands despite personal turmoil and tragedy.—
DeAsia Paige,
AJC.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
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Ironically, that outcome may lead it to threaten a market wipeout — if not apocalypse — itself.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
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The group eventually purchased a compound in Lure, North Carolina and believed that they would be rescued from the coming apocalypse by UFOs.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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