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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debacle
With the possible exception of the bike-lane debacle in Chicago, dominated by zero-sum fanatics, few debates have been as nasty as the one involving Chicagoland’s new football stadium.
—
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
To that end, this debacle has put Martin’s job in jeopardy – and rightly so – at a critical juncture.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
This debacle is what happens when good people stay home from the polls on election days.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike on Wednesday are falling in reaction to cybersecurity peer ZScaler's earnings debacle the prior evening.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
To that end, this debacle has put Martin’s job in jeopardy – and rightly so – at a critical juncture.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
This debacle is what happens when good people stay home from the polls on election days.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike on Wednesday are falling in reaction to cybersecurity peer ZScaler's earnings debacle the prior evening.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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The offense has been a disaster, the pitching staff has sustained some key injuries and the club has spent the first two months struggling to keep its head above water.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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The Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters maps and tracks every chemical disaster reported by the media on its website.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 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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The sheriff says that 15 to 20 community members stepped up to help in the aftermath of this tragedy.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
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Convoluted race shaped by tragedy As the California Senate president last fall, McGuire helped Democrats successfully engineer and secure passage of Proposition 50.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
3 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 10 Jun. 2026.
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