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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loser
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
So was the collateralized mortgage debacle starting in 2007.
—
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
While the women have long dispelled rumors of any bad blood between them, unconvinced fans reignited conflict rumors in February 2023 after an infamous eyebrow debacle.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins, who entered Sunday’s debacle in Charlotte with one of the league’s worst run defenses, can now lay claim to having the absolute worst.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
Even Trackhouse team owner Justin Marks, who in one moment consoled Chastain and in the next celebrated with race winner and road-racing-wonder Shane van Gisbergen, weighed in on the last-lap debacle.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
While the women have long dispelled rumors of any bad blood between them, unconvinced fans reignited conflict rumors in February 2023 after an infamous eyebrow debacle.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
The Dolphins, who entered Sunday’s debacle in Charlotte with one of the league’s worst run defenses, can now lay claim to having the absolute worst.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2025
Even Trackhouse team owner Justin Marks, who in one moment consoled Chastain and in the next celebrated with race winner and road-racing-wonder Shane van Gisbergen, weighed in on the last-lap debacle.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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The floods have also left 11 people missing, inundated more than 116,000 houses and 5,000 hectares of crops, and damaged roads and railways, cutting off traffic and power in several areas, the government’s disaster agency said in a report.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
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Desmond McKenzie, deputy chair of Jamaica's disaster risk management council, declined to share how many people have died, although authorities separately told AP at least four deaths occurred in southwest Jamaica.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Following a damaging price war, Beijing’s new five-year plan signaled the government will reduce EV subsidies and instead let the market decide winners and losers in the sector, the China-Global South Project wrote.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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The latter more than held his own, though, allowing four hits and three runs across 6 2/3 innings before leaving as the hard-luck loser.—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Global failure to adapt to climate change is taking a toll on people’s lives and is responsible for millions of deaths every year, according to a new report from The Lancet.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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Real war introduces deception, saturation attacks and human failures.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But tragedies like these also reflect the vulnerability of this refugee population – with the overall reduction in support causing a cascade effect for those already living on a knife edge of survival.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Mistakes, misfortunes, even tragedy, toxic secrets from the past—anything can happen, or may have happened.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The constant, nearly vindictive string of injuries was the same as last year’s six-win fiasco, but the results were the exact opposite.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
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But that this fiasco happened at all is a sign of how much Americans’ desire to optimize their rest has grown—along with the market to sate that desire.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Whereas much of the original play unfolds as a steady stream of callers to the Tesmans’ estate, DaCosta cleverly restages these various interpersonal calamities against the backdrop of a lavish party.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
28 Oct. 2025
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After the calamity occurs, the movie, for a while, loses its pace.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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