debacle

play

noun de·ba·cle \ dē-ˈbä-kəl , di- , -ˈba- ; nonstandard ˈde-bə-kəl \

variants: or less commonly débâcle play \ also dā-ˈbäk(lᵊ)\

Definition of debacle

1 :a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river

2 :a violent disruption (as of an army) :rout

3 a :a great disaster

b :a complete failure :fiasco

See debacle defined for English-language learners

See debacle defined for kids

debacle was our Word of the Day on 09/11/2010. Hear the podcast!

Examples of debacle in a Sentence

What a debacle. Next thing he knew, one of the patients would turn up dead. —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

Recent Examples of debacle from the Web

Schedule: The Gators benefit from the LSU debacle last year, and play just three true road games all year.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "AL.com All-Access: Is Auburn really the 2nd-best team in the SEC in 2017?," 22 Aug. 2017
In 1922, Philip's uncle, the king of Greece, was forced to abdicate after the debacle of the Greco-Turkish War.

— katie jones, Town & Country, "Prince Philip's Tragic Childhood," 24 July 2017
Jordan Spieth’s wild ride at the British Open ended with a dramatic three-shot victory, following a debacle on the 13th hole with brilliance.

— star-telegram, "Dallas’ Jordan Spieth wins British Open in turnaround for the ages," 23 July 2017
This debacle will have big consequences, not least for health care.

— The Economist, "Not repealing Obamacare," 20 July 2017
Of course, after the health-care debacle, and given the president’s other distractions, does anyone really believe that all those cuts are going to happen?

— michael tanner, National Review, "Entitlements Are Out of Control," 19 July 2017
This debacle shines a light on an unclear clause in Windows 10’s support policy.

— brad chacos, PCWorld, "Windows 10 Creators Update cuts support for some Intel PCs early," 17 July 2017
The silliest brand of take emerging from this debacle, though, looks something like this:

— jay willis, GQ, "The CNN-Trump GIF Debacle Is Another Reminder That Everything You Post on the Internet Is Fair Game," 5 July 2017
With its costly record of oversight failures and public relations debacles, this hardly comes as a surprise.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Shareholders fail to oust Mylan board, but down-voted massive salaries," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'debacle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Origin of debacle is French

Debacle comes from the French noun débâcle, which comes from the verb débâcler, meaning "to clear," "to unbolt," or "to unbar." That verb is from Middle French desbacler, which joined the prefix des- (equivalent to our de-, meaning "to do the opposite of") with the verb "bacler" ("to block"). In its original uses, "debacle" meant a breaking up of ice, or the rush of ice or water that follows such an occurrence. Eventually, "debacle" was used also to mean "a violent, destructive flood." Naturally, such uses led to meanings such as "a breaking up," "collapse," and finally "disaster" or "fiasco."

Origin and Etymology of debacle

French débâcle, from débâcler to clear, from Middle French desbacler, from des- de- + bacler to block, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *bacculare, from Latin baculum staff

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1802

See Words from the same year