DEBACLES Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

debacles

noun

variants also débâcles

plural of debacle

as in disasters

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

as in failures

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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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 debacles There were, for example, a few state-level permitting debacles, with New Mexico rejecting SunZia’s initial transmission route in 2018. — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026 Notable names in this batch include billionaire Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy and tokenization service Securitize, both of which have been public market flops, but not outright debacles. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 Plus, through water, hot temperatures, and other kitchen debacles, the Overseas has remained in perfect condition. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026 But its name betrays a critical second function, which is to provide the type of tire-biting traction that can rescue you from one of the more frustrating debacles of off-road travel. — New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026 Otherwise, the Democrats’ showing in the campaign has amounted to a pileup of debacles. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026 The one tiny potential upside of the populist movement was its apparent reluctance to plunge the nation into foreign debacles. — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026 From shocking district alignments to puzzling travel debacles, many coaches were left shaking their heads in disbelief. — Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026 Several similar debacles have plagued the team over the last six years, but this one may just take the cake. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacles

Noun

Jane Williams, executive director of California Communities Against Toxics, said Southern California has been rocked by numerous chemical disasters, including the Lineage warehouse fire and the Garden Grove hazardous materials emergency.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Kimmel had been tapped to serve as master of ceremonies at the fundraiser for the home-sharing behemoth’s nonprofit, which was created in 2020 to provide free temporary housing to people displaced by disasters and other crises.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of disasters

Noun

Many franchises were jumping from 2D to 3D at the turn of the millennium, and there were plenty of failures — but Metroid wasn’t one of them.

— Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Accessibility failures thrive in the dark, where no one has to explain how decisions are made, why capacity isn’t anticipated accurately, or what accessibility actually looks like when thousands of disabled people often have to navigate barriers.

— Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of failures

Noun

Since Benson and her co-authors met in Oviedo, weather catastrophes have multiplied, oceans have acidified and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere has soared.

— Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
With that in mind, here’s a look at three new books shaped by catastrophes large and small.

— Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of catastrophes

Noun

Indeed, and most embarrassingly, might my interest in preaching be little more than an attempt to assuage my writing disappointments?

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
The Barbie show, however, was not without its disappointments for some Péro fans, since the collaboration felt somewhat removed from the label’s familiar world.

— Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of disappointments

Noun

The film, directed by Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, shows how Morrison overcame multiple tragedies to achieve the unthinkable – scaling the north side of Mount Everest and then skiing down it, a feat never before accomplished.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2026
Ghosts can haunt their killers, or serve as a warning for the living to not forget the tragedies of the past.

— Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of tragedies

Noun

The protagonist becomes a wise-guy version of Benjamin’s Angel of History, watching calamities accumulate before his eyes.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
To avert future calamities, the forest outside Bordeaux must be thinned and its fire breaks widened, said Arthur Guérin-Turcq, a Sorbonne University geographer whose family cultivates pines near Le Porge.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of calamities

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debacle

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debar

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“Debacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacles. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of debacles

noun

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