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
Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
But the Giants dropped eight players at the end of that debacle at Denver.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
The couple eventually moved on to discuss the wonders of drive-through car washes, though the airport debacle resurfaced during an interview with Allison Williams later in the show.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
The eight-figure dispute that cost the Gators blue-chip quarterback signee Jaden Rashada during his first full recruiting cycle was a high-profile debacle.
—Matt Baker, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debacle
Cite this Entry
“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debacle. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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debacle
noun
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