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
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of debacle
But this close brush with death symbolized both Trump's amazing comeback from the debacle of the 2020 election and its aftermath and the fighting spirit that led to an Electoral College and popular vote victory in November 2024.
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Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
And in 2023, Burnette — the president and CEO hired to rebuild trust after the job description debacle — exited unexpectedly after just 15 months in the role.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Dec. 2024
In Tennessee, the legal hardball became a debacle for both Endo and Arnold & Porter.
—Bob Fernandez, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2024
Some Democrats have called for longtime party leaders to step aside and make way for younger Democrats to wield more power, especially after the debacle Democrats faced after President Joe Biden's age concerns this year.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for debacle 
Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
And in 2023, Burnette — the president and CEO hired to rebuild trust after the job description debacle — exited unexpectedly after just 15 months in the role.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Dec. 2024
In Tennessee, the legal hardball became a debacle for both Endo and Arnold & Porter.
—Bob Fernandez, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2024
Some Democrats have called for longtime party leaders to step aside and make way for younger Democrats to wield more power, especially after the debacle Democrats faced after President Joe Biden's age concerns this year.
—Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for debacle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debacle
Noun
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If Calais Campbell hadn’t signed with the Dolphins at the last minute Miami’s defense would be a disaster.Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Jan. 2025
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The Tanner Jeannot trade was a disaster by any measure.Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Green Bay, losers of two straight games, opened as a 3.5-point underdog, but that line has climbed to 4.5 points this week.Rob Reischel, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
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That would encourage a new period of aggression by Russia, China, North Korea, and a nuclear-capable Iran, in which America — and Trump — will be the losers.Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Not typically covered is the cost of scheduled maintenance, wear-and-tear items like brake pads and windshield wiper blades, and failure caused by abuse or improper maintenance.Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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Technological failures and fires swallow family photos.Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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That family tragedy at what seemed to be the end of his political career was a bookend to the one at its beginning, when his first wife and baby daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
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The tragedy is still under investigation in Argentina, where five people have been charged in connection with Payne's death, according to multiple outlets including the BBC.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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And what was Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump but a fiasco of the highest order?The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2024
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Garcia was a star before the ordeal with Haney, and like it or not, his profile has grown since the fiasco.Brian Mazique, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The two experts spoke to The Times in 2017 when wildfires ravaged Northern California and again this week amid the unfolding calamity.Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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The seemingly increasing number of both natural and manmade calamities happening around the world means that companies in a position to provide support and relief, like ours and others across different industries, will likely be called upon to do so more often.David Wajsgras, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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