DEBACLE Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

debacle

noun

dē-ˈbä-kəl

variants also débâcle

Definition of debacle

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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

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 Illinois Department of Transportation announced that there would be an emergency road closure at the inbound Lawrence Avenue exit on the Kennedy (Interstate 90), citing the early morning concrete retention wall failure as the reason.

— Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
These failures stemmed not from new vulnerabilities, but from basic security flaws like weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints, and reliance on assumptions over robust controls.

— Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of failure

Noun

The story follows exiled prince Rama (Ranbir Kapoor) and his consort Sita (Sai Pallavi) through exile into catastrophe, as Sita’s abduction at the hands of Ravana (Yash) sets in motion an epic war between righteousness and evil.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026
In fact, the war provided the exact lifeline that Putin needed to rescue him from economic catastrophe.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 30 July 2026

Definition of catastrophe

Noun

And outside of the biggest Kool-Aid® guzzlers in Cupertino, pretty much nobody thinks Apple is interested in going for another big bite of live sports, especially not in light of its MLS fiasco.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026
With yesterday's Fauci fiasco behind us, all the talk up here on the Hill is about Todd Blanche.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 30 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

While his beloved character didn’t outlive the zombie apocalypse, his romance with Pak bloomed.

— Adrianne Reece, InStyle, 28 July 2026
The widow certainly has not had a lot to smile about in the zombie apocalypse, and definitely not to the man who brutally murdered her husband.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026

Definition of apocalypse

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“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of debacle

noun

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