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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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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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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Both coaches have worked to downplay the magnitude of the moment — not just the stakes of this game but also the implications for the winner and, even more so, the fallout for the loser.Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
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The winner gets the coveted first-round bye, while the loser will have to go on the road for a wild-card playoff game.Austin Mock, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Several reports have linked ashwagandha to inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), liver failure, and the need for liver transplantation.92 Taking ashwagandha with other hepatotoxic medications may increase your risk for liver damage.Kirstyn Hill, PharmD, MPH, Health, 1 Jan. 2025
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This was the 11th launch from the Space Coast in 2023 and 300th successful Falcon 9 launch since its debut in 2010, having only had one mid-launch failure in 2015.Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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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Before now, United’s calamities in the last decade or so have been incubated to a tier most other clubs can only dream of: finishing bottom of a Champions League group; coming eighth in the Premier League but winning the FA Cup; losing a Europa League final 11-10 on penalties.Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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After years of unrelenting calamity, Americans were ready for something new and different.Russell L. Riley / Made by History, TIME, 29 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debacle. Accessed 14 Jan. 2025.
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