variants
also débâcles
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of debacles
The concept was so sticky and compelling, though, that others started mining histories of notorious debacles for more examples of the same.
—
David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Those debacles not only angered voters but showed to the bond markets that Labour would struggle to shore up Britain’s public finances.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Japan is also looking at political uncertainty as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to step down, following electoral debacles that saw the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lose its majority in both the lower and upper houses of parliament.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Property tax debacles Legislators and other panelists were split on how the recall could affect ongoing discourse around property tax valuations in Jackson County.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
After two playoff debacles, a track record of poor play against quality teams during his tenure and a season of disappointment in 2024, the coach must direct his team toward a strong rebound this week against the New England Patriots.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
But overall, history provides numerous examples of politicians, especially in autocracies, who can survive military debacles.
—John Mueller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2022
David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Those debacles not only angered voters but showed to the bond markets that Labour would struggle to shore up Britain’s public finances.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Japan is also looking at political uncertainty as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to step down, following electoral debacles that saw the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lose its majority in both the lower and upper houses of parliament.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Property tax debacles Legislators and other panelists were split on how the recall could affect ongoing discourse around property tax valuations in Jackson County.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
After two playoff debacles, a track record of poor play against quality teams during his tenure and a season of disappointment in 2024, the coach must direct his team toward a strong rebound this week against the New England Patriots.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
But overall, history provides numerous examples of politicians, especially in autocracies, who can survive military debacles.
—John Mueller, Foreign Affairs, 29 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacles
Noun
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Excluding disasters, sudden surges of this magnitude in requests for food or any other need are rare at 211s, and can signal both public worry and need, as happened in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Matthew W. Kreuter,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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But Kalmaegi also collapsed flood-control infrastructure in the province that was ostensibly meant to protect citizens in such disasters.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Employers can create weekly forums where employees can share both AI successes and failures without judgment, then reallocate budgets away from underperforming AI experiments to pilots that are showing success.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.—
MaKshya Tolbert,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But catastrophes also tend to reveal deficits in society, and the patterns of destruction and abandonment that followed the fire—which have roots in America’s past and its present—tell us something about the country’s future, too.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
10 Nov. 2025
-
While people’s claims history, inflation, higher labor and construction costs play into increases nationwide, Coloradans face the additional burden of living in a state where the risk is high of catastrophes wreaking billions of dollars in damage.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Chiefs have suffered some injuries at corner in past seasons, so there’s still time to get some use with Fulton, but for now this stands one of the season’s top disappointments.—
Sam McDowell
November 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
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There’s often a focus on resilience, or the the ability to bounce back from disappointments and challenges, especially during times of transition or change.—
Ana Homayoun,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Luna is dreamy, while Jane is matter-of-fact, even about family tragedies.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Flags are usually flown at half-staff after national tragedies or deaths of government officials, military members or other first responders.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The audience for 2025’s reel of zombie apocalypses lives in a world shaped, in part, by Americans’ refusal to accept an aging Joe Biden’s ineligibility for President.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Whereas much of the original play unfolds as a steady stream of callers to the Tesmans’ estate, DaCosta cleverly restages these various interpersonal calamities against the backdrop of a lavish party.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The piling on of hurdles, unforeseen challenges, and calamities is almost ridiculous.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacles. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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