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 As mentioned earlier, a key contributor to this debacle is its complexity. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2026 Bello’s last game for the Red Sox was the June 4 debacle that earned him a demotion to Triple-A Worcester. — Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 12 July 2026 The debacle with another city manager in Fort Lauderdale is not unique. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 July 2026 And in that regard, Ferrari has utterly outdone itself, especially following the Luce EV debacle. — New Atlas, 10 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
  • The whole administration of the capital is threatened by this disaster.
    — Andrei Popoviciu, The Dial, 23 July 2026
  • But simply hoping things will bounce back is a recipe for disaster.
    — Chris Adams, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • Given Zidane won the Champions League in three successive years as coach of Real Madrid, anything less than victory at the European Championship in 2028 will be considered a failure.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • At the time he was arrested, authorities had issued a separate warrant for Milton stemming from his failure to appear in court and alleged curfew violations in a retail theft case, court records show.
    — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • For the second year in a row, this quiet Hill Country town is digging itself out of a catastrophe that has mercilessly taken a community trying to heal and set them back on the path of mourning.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Every child identified before a catastrophe reminds us that statistics represent real people.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 July 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • Andy Burnham will become the United Kingdom’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday, and must face the consequences of a bond market fiasco from three administrations ago.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 July 2026
  • Now, though, the American team’s customary Round-of-16 exit, the Balogun fiasco and FIFA’s shady past recede as the overriding art of soccer/football/futbol at ts best takes over with a final four for the ages.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
Definition of fiasco
Noun
  • The Pan American Health Organization has also warned of a prolonged health crisis following the tragedy related to mental health, infectious diseases and poor sanitation.
    — Alfie Pannell, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Forged in the fire of tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human–the BATMAN.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 July 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • The rest of the season followed suit, delivering Teri's (Enuka Okuma) apocalypse story, and so much more.
    — Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026
  • The same year, another, longer-running TV version focused on the story of survivors after an alien apocalypse that had wiped out most of the Earth's population.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 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 26 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 aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All