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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of debacle
That alone is enough to extinguish whatever lingered from Tuesday night’s debacle.
—
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
While his college football debut went about as poorly as anyone could have predicted, in his typical stoic fashion, Belichick assigned blame to everyone involved in Monday night's debacle.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
United didn’t qualify for any European competition this season and the Grimsby debacle means the fixture list is now set until the FA Cup in January.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
And so there is a real chance that lawmakers will prioritize funding this debacle over safety-net programs that help many poor Californians.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
While his college football debut went about as poorly as anyone could have predicted, in his typical stoic fashion, Belichick assigned blame to everyone involved in Monday night's debacle.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
United didn’t qualify for any European competition this season and the Grimsby debacle means the fixture list is now set until the FA Cup in January.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
And so there is a real chance that lawmakers will prioritize funding this debacle over safety-net programs that help many poor Californians.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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Bureau staff were told the group itself, already gutted as part of mass layoffs at the State Department in July, would refocus on migration diplomacy and disaster response rather than its traditional refugee focus.—
Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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That question frames an episode that opens not with battle, but with the kind of stillness that comes before disaster.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The houseguests then voted between the two comp losers, and when Julie announced the results, Will was evicted by a vote of 3-2 and became the season’s second jury member.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
11 Sep. 2025
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Instead of scrolling Twitter, read something about a cranky, divorced loser, like The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei, and translated by Canaan Morse.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Wilson argued the Charlotte attack resulted from several failures, from lax ticket enforcement to reliance on private security, rather than policies from Cooper’s tenure.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Now, as a photojournalist working with the Kansas City Defender and as the creator of the upcoming podcast Fountain City Files, Harrison focuses on stories involving missing Black women, systemic failures in law enforcement and community neglect.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The statement further addressed the context of the tribute, comparing it to other moments of silence following tragedies.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Voters should be able to see, right away, who is funding their representatives, especially in the wake of tragedy.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Following that fiasco, Ansari began work on directing a new feature inspired by yet another sociological muse.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
7 Sep. 2025
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Already hacked off by the renovation fiasco, the company’s longtime patrons pounced, accusing the corporation of betraying its history and values.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Going to the theatre in that period was hardly an entertainment for the fainthearted, and calamity was not confined to the stage.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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