debacle
noun
Did you know?
The Origin of Debacle Is French
If you need an icebreaker in some social setting, why not recount the history of debacle? After all, when it was first used in English, debacle referred to the literal breaking up of ice (such as the kind that occurs in a river after a long, cold winter), as well as to the rush of ice or water that follows such an event. Eventually, it was also used to mean “a violent, destructive flood.” If that’s not enough to make some fast friends, you could let loose the fact that debacle comes from the French noun débâcle, which in turn comes from the verb débâcler, meaning “to clear, unbolt, or unbar.” You might then add, to your listeners’ grateful appreciation, that these uses led naturally to such meanings as “a breaking up,” “collapse,” and finally the familiar “disaster” and “fiasco.” We can feel the silence thawing already.
Examples of debacle in a Sentence
T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993
So what had been intended as an orderly hearing ended in a general debacle, for as soon as Fray Domingo saw his protector dragged toward the exit door, he leaped at the guards and began pummeling them.
—James A. Michener, Texas, 1985
Savings themselves evaporate in the course of such a debacle and thus the very wherewithal for reversing and retrieving the situation is lost …
—Jane Jacobs, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, 1984
After the debacle of his first novel, he had trouble getting a publisher for his next book.
the financial debacle that was the stock market crash of 1929
Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Starter Michael Lorenzen rebounded from his debacle against the Phillies in last Friday’s home opener — nine runs allowed on 12 hits, including two homers over three innings — to turn in a quality start.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
The N-word debacle totally overshadowed the BAFTAs.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2026
Mason’s guess is that the future of the Canucks front office may not be settled precisely at the end of the season, when Rutherford meets with the media to debrief on a season that has been nothing short of a debacle.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debacle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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debacle
noun
