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
And finally… Here’s a debacle to wake you up on a Monday morning.
—
Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Yoon faces a slew of criminal trials related to his martial law debacle and other scandals.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
The debacle sparked a crisis at the BBC that saw the Director General and news boss exit.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
Five months later, thousands are still waiting for bills and tens of thousands are waiting for refunds, the latest development in the technology upgrade debacle that has roiled the county’s tax system for more than four years with no clear end in sight.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Phil Hay, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Yoon faces a slew of criminal trials related to his martial law debacle and other scandals.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
The debacle sparked a crisis at the BBC that saw the Director General and news boss exit.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
Five months later, thousands are still waiting for bills and tens of thousands are waiting for refunds, the latest development in the technology upgrade debacle that has roiled the county’s tax system for more than four years with no clear end in sight.
—Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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Boeing has reached confidential pre-trial settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the Ethiopian Airlines disaster and a similar 737 Max crash five months earlier off the coast of Indonesia that together killed 346 people.—
Rio Yamat,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
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But the 48-year-old former San Francisco County supervisor’s solution — a single-payer-style public disaster insurance program — is poorly defined and presents an enormous risk for a state struggling with chronic deficits.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
When Danh was initially hospitalized overseas on April 9, doctors diagnosed her with acute liver failure, among other serious health issues.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
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Despite these obvious failures, many still call for the rich to pay more taxes.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The fiasco played out for days and led to in-depth reviews at both the BBC and BAFTA.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 May 2026
-
But that doesn’t mean the Terry Rozier fiasco can’t have the NBA rig the lotto hopper.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Those intentions prove to be relatively short-lived, as personal tragedy and political machinations eventually drove both men down their familiar old paths.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
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One year after a fire at a religious hospice claimed the lives of 12 children, Mariel and Tino – a pair of documentary filmmakers – investigate the case of Gisela, the young volunteer who caused the tragedy and whom everyone believes to be dead.—
Roberto Prieto,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
That presentiment lies behind the many present expressions of apocalypse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
This helped to set off the SaaS apocalypse.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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