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
Relevance
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacles
Noun
-
Groupthink, affirmation bias and collective blind spots have led to all manners of disasters in the past.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Home hardening involves making upgrades that specifically protect against climate and weather disasters.—
Kristine Gill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Because of those failures of the grid, people are taking more control of themselves [to ensure] clean and reliable generation.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
While not foolproof – replication failures can occur due to human error, inaccurate details of study design and many other variables that may be difficult to control for – results that remain unproven are a huge red flag.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The season 8 finale saw Bobby's family, friends, and colleagues healing in the aftermath, but the impact of his passing will no doubt color the catastrophes awaiting our heroes.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Families that embrace this mindset see setbacks not as catastrophes but as tuition.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Tech companies, which have relied on H-1Bs for years, could be the biggest losers under the new rules.—
Patricia Lopez,
Mercury News,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The winning team gets alone time with Mel, while the losers are sent back to the mansion on a bus.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This summer, through another partnership with New Mexico Tech, Gasca was part of a group studying how severe climate patterns affect stream flows, information that may be used to help avert tragedies such as the recent Texas floods.—
Greg Mellen,
Oc Register,
26 Sep. 2025
-
As the nation faced tragedies like school shootings, Kimmel was open and honest with how tragic the news was — and how frustrating that there seemed to be no attempts to enact sensible ways to stop gun violence.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Tigers are one of the biggest disappointments of the season with a 1-3 record.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
22 Sep. 2025
-
To some degree, the outpouring on the streets of Nepal last week can be traced to the disappointments that followed him.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In the episode, eight of the nine ringers suffer calamities on the eve of the game which preclude their participation, with Sax held on comically-unfounded suspicion of committing approximately 600 murders in the New York City area.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
-
These calamities drastically reduce the genetic diversity in a group.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Debacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacles. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share