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 loser
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 debacle
California Supreme Court orders state bar to revert to national exams after testing debacle.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2025
And while the Mets are 7-4 when their substitute starters pitch (even after Sunday’s bullpen debacle behind Megill), the other teams are all below .500 with their fill-ins.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Newark’s latest round of headaches comes on the tail of a manic Monday that saw 287 delays and 127 cancellations at the airport by 6 p.m. An equipment outage was blamed for that debacle.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 May 2025
Neither showed up in the Game 5 debacle in Houston.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2025
And while the Mets are 7-4 when their substitute starters pitch (even after Sunday’s bullpen debacle behind Megill), the other teams are all below .500 with their fill-ins.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Newark’s latest round of headaches comes on the tail of a manic Monday that saw 287 delays and 127 cancellations at the airport by 6 p.m. An equipment outage was blamed for that debacle.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 May 2025
Neither showed up in the Game 5 debacle in Houston.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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States like Florida could be forced to assume billions in costs for health care and disaster preparedness.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
17 May 2025
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Melissa Bumstead, an environmental advocate and San Fernando Valley resident, urged the Board of Environmental Safety to consider factoring disaster debris into the hazardous waste plan.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
Noun
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The winner takes all and the losers are driven to lose their humanity.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
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When policymakers’ ambition to pass big tax cuts collides with the need to limit the cost, the inevitable loser is simplicity.—
Howard Gleckman,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
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Kennedy's new vision — and view of past 'failures' At times, Kennedy has praised the staff of HHS.—
Selena Simmons-Duffin,
NPR,
13 May 2025
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Scientists at a California biotech company first identified the disease, which, if left untreated, can lead to liver failure and death.—
Scott Suckow,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2025
Noun
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More crucially, comedy and tragedy are allowed to coexist as parallel realities.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
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Few legacies in American motorsports carry the same weight, and even fewer families are as synonymous with both triumph and tragedy.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Noun
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What Trump really thought of the Signal group chat fiasco: The Atlantic’s Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer describe their discussions with Trump over the group chat a journalist was accidentally added into.—
Cate Martel,
The Hill,
30 Apr. 2025
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But so far, fans seem satisfied with the prospect of a MrBeast studio visit, and the fiasco of the past few days is unlikely to put a dent in his massive popularity.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The de facto trade embargo between the world’s two largest economies had produced domestic and global economic pressure that appeared on the brink of calamity.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
12 May 2025
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This belies the notion that the CCP would be a reliable partner if the world ever faced calamity again.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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