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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 But much like the Jonathan Kuminga debacle last season, the front office refused to take proper stock of reality or stand up for itself. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026 The debacle, which came on the heels of similar higher-education scandals, was linked to roughly a dozen student suicides, and a retest in June did little to calm public outrage. — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026 The debacle began in May, when the state legislature passed a measure to reform the court system in changes that were backed by Murrill. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 22 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for debacle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle

Noun

Next week, for the first time ever, Taiwan will deliberately slow its mobile internet speed, testing how citizens would communicate if bandwidth becomes scarce in emergencies ranging ⁠from disasters to a Chinese invasion.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
There was another near disaster when, two weeks out from the wedding, the couple learned their venue couldn’t accommodate them.

— Jessica Salter, Vogue, 6 Aug. 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

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

Browse Nearby Words

deb

debacle

debacles

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to debacle

Cite this Entry

Style

“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of debacle

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

Words You See But Don't Hear

Words of the Week - March 4

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on debacle

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

invidious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes