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 The debacle has cast light on the various ways in which leverage is increasingly underpinning the wider AI boom. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 And as much of a debacle the debate was for her, the rally was a success. — NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026 Trump’s debacle in Iran has shattered the illusion of American military omnipotence. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 River believes that Webb, perhaps deliberately, misled him during the training exercise, which resulted in the debacle. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 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
  • In moments, the towers’ dazzling height had transformed from the proud punctuation of this country’s signature skyline into a disaster-movie nightmare.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Bills finished the Toronto series with a 1-5 record, and the experiment was viewed as a disaster.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • Their failure to receive one may be attributed to their having vague symptoms, such as a general feeling of malaise, weakness, or fluctuating muscle pain.
    — Jerome Groopman, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Compounding the issue was UM’s failure to get to the quarterback.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of failure
Noun
  • More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead and thousands remain missing after the catastrophe, according to authorities in both countries.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As the story moves breathlessly through the neighborhood’s streets and interiors, Kodeih, who also edited the feature, and cinematographer Tony Kopec zero in on a jumpy, kinetic tension between looming catastrophe and potential triumph.
    — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of catastrophe
Noun
  • The wedding invitation fiasco comes just days after Kelce opened up about his and Swift’s special day.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Though the reason for Marte’s initial absence remains unknown publicly — the Diamondbacks were so blindsided by it that he was scratched only minutes before Monday’s game — the team seemed eager to move on from the fiasco.
    — Marc Carig, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of fiasco
Noun
  • America could have responded to that tragedy by creating a kinder world, one that truly honors the dead.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Twenty-five years later, the tournament will pause to remember the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks.
    — Lukas Weese, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of tragedy
Noun
  • Those forecasts add hope for office workers after top AI leaders previously signaled a jobs apocalypse was imminent.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Why private credit may avoid a ‘crisis-apocalypse’ Blackstone’s scale attracts outsized scrutiny, and investors’ attempts to pull money from its private credit funds earlier this year made headline news.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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