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

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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

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 Vang’s deportation, as confirmed Friday by Rubio and DHS, brings the debacle full circle. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 July 2026 What’s left — besides finding a Democrat to run in his place — is figuring out what, if anything, can be learned from this debacle. — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026 The recent debacle over the US’ desire to acquire Greenland has left Europe also seized with the need to shape its own defensce, yet another wrinkle for Moscow. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 This debacle is the subject of The Drive‘s latest YouTube video, hosted by my friend (and boss) Kyle Cheromcha. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 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
  • Daniel had arrived back in Venezuela the day of the disaster, after being deported from the United States.
    — Susana Erazo, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The discrepancy is even more apparent when analyzing major disaster declarations based on presidential elections.
    — David A. Lieb, Fortune, 16 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
  • Delivery had been delayed as the city grappled with the tragedy, a small but unforgettable reminder that Atlanta’s celebration had changed overnight.
    — Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • Yellowstone sees the most deaths during the tourist months running from May through October, with July featuring nearly 25 percent of all recorded tragedies.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 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

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Cite this Entry

“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of debacle for Spanish Speakers

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