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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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 Neither person wants to compromise and yet both of you could be exhausted by the entire debacle. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 Barring that, which seems unlikely as of now, and this is a real debacle for Republicans — who can’t afford one in such a tight election season. — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Producers say the flagship’s difficulty, its writing staff and its ritual details stay untouched — a caution shaped by the 2021 hosting debacle. — Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 Like many candidates for county executive, addressing the property tax debacle in Jackson County is one of Lake’s main goals. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 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
  • The club was rebuilding after the 1958 Munich air disaster but won a first post-Munich trophy, the FA Cup, earlier that year.
    — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In nearby Anderson in Madison County, Indiana, the mayor declared a local disaster emergency and issued evacuation orders Thursday along the swelling White River and other waterways.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • There was widespread concern in San Antonio last fall that a failure to approve a new arena could open the door for the Spurs to relocate to Austin.
    — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Reports vary on the exact level of success or failure of Meghan's brand As Ever, but the jam, flower sprinkles and scented candles have become a bit of a joke.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez , Ashley Papa , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • Massive crude stockpiles before the war helped prevent catastrophe when supply dried up.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As the summer of 2001 wears on through the lens of Kopple’s camera, our knowledge of the coming catastrophe casts a shadow over the proceedings.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • His costly miscalculation exploded into a life-and-death war fiasco that an incompetent and dishonest administration is now incapable of ending.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The fiasco has cost American taxpayers $533 million, according to the Army.
    — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of fiasco
Noun
  • Officials say Monday's tragedy is far from an isolated incident and are urging the public to slow down and pay attention.
    — Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Through rapid-fire verbal repartee, constant close-ups, and frantic cuts, Deramas treads a careful line between tragedy and comedy, the latter a psychological weapon against the former.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • Worried about the dog in the sci-fi apocalypse thriller The End of Oak Street?
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But now, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pushing back against the predictions of a job apocalypse once made by his fellow tech CEOs, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of debacle for Spanish Speakers

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