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
Cuba has been a thorn in the side of the United States for decades, notably including the humiliation of then-President Kennedy over the Bay of Pigs debacle in 1961.
—
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 20 May 2026
But even by those low expectations, the entire affair was a debacle.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026
And with a crop of new players and most of the coaching staff replaced after last season’s debacle, plenty of attention has surrounded Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
So this summer — about a year after that legal debacle — Miami voters will get the chance to decide.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 20 May 2026
But even by those low expectations, the entire affair was a debacle.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026
And with a crop of new players and most of the coaching staff replaced after last season’s debacle, plenty of attention has surrounded Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
So this summer — about a year after that legal debacle — Miami voters will get the chance to decide.
—Miami Herald, 14 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
-
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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Her son was cited for careless driving and failure to signal.—
Topher Sanders,
ProPublica,
2 June 2026
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Blue Origin should be able to identify the cause of the failure and get the rocket flying safely again.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Liaquat Ahamed has spent his career studying the moments when the world’s financial system breaks down — the bad bets, the collective delusions, and the geopolitical accidents that tip economies into catastrophe.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
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Richards had begun privately doubting the timeline—traveling to Paris and London for modeling work, looking around, and noticing an absence of catastrophe.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The episode begins with the Napiers and their team dealing with a flooding fiasco after heavy rain from the night before led to a water leak that damaged four rooms.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
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The Department of Labor and Employment’s financial monitoring unit issued Spesshardt an internal infraction for his role in the GPS contract fiasco.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
31 May 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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Now, her portrayal of Zosia, the hive mind emissary sent to cajole Rhea Seehorn’s Carol into joining the world’s collective consciousness in Vince Gilligan’s Apple TV sci-fi tale of a happiness apocalypse, has stirred up Emmy buzz.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
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Check out this 1997 live TV version of Paranoid Android, which veers from lullaby to apocalypse within the space of a few minutes.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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