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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacles
Noun
-
On Tuesday, 85 scientists released a 459-page rebuttal to the DOE report, highlighting a large body of scientific literature pointing to how climate change can exacerbate droughts, floods, crop failures, and other disasters.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025 -
Greengrass viewed the story of The Lost Bus through a similar lens, following a micro, primal cinematic story of survival that was ultimately about what these disasters mean on a macro level.—
Tomris Laffly,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While the popular story highlights a federal civil rights victory, a more comprehensive examination reveals the triumph of white resistance, the failures of sustained federal oversight, and the longer history of Black student courage and activism.—
Time,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Within these settings, members may receive encouragement to share their successes, failures, roadblocks, and takeaways.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sagan described another major pathway to unintended nuclear catastrophes.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
2 Sep. 2025
-
The organization then uses those precogs — and Luke is one of them — to prevent global catastrophes at the expense of children's lives.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
During the competition, the losers are executed and the lone survivor is declared the winner.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
-
But one this unique and anticipated deserved its own breakdown of winners and losers.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After tragedies or natural disasters, fake nonprofits or misleading crowdfunding campaigns pop up online, siphoning donations away from legitimate causes.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For some people within the agency, the multiple safety reviews for NASA missions are a necessary safeguard after the space shuttle Challenger and Columbia tragedies.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Wolves expected all three to leave this season, so there were no huge disappointments in terms of outgoings.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Osaka hasn’t let the disappointments and detractors of the last nearly five years derail her.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Levine Cava bristled, saying the only money left to fund the choppers would be the county’s emergency fund — dollars reserved for hurricanes or other calamities.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The waves of our joys and calamities, both collective and personal, lap on the same shore, one after another, crashing over one another without pause.—
Michael Jerome Plunkett
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Debacles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacles. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share