debacle

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

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

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: debacle in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Origin of debacle is French

Definition of debacle

1 a : a great disaster

b : a complete failure : fiasco

2 : a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river

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

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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

Spain didn't recover from this debacle, losing its second game to Chile and bowing out of the tournament without advancing to the knockout round.

— jim reineking, USA TODAY, "FIFA World Cup: Top 10 best moments in tournament history," 8 June 2018
Get our daily newsletter The Charles and Di debacle was one of several.

— The Economist, "The monarchy is at its strongest in years, unlike the government," 19 May 2018
The #WengerOut debacle has been as hotly debated in Africa as anywhere else, and now the French tactician is gone fans are taking stock of his reign.

— chris giles, CNN, "Arsenal superfan shares favorite Wenger moments," 17 May 2018
Sacrilege! Vogue staffers allegedly feel especially uncomfortable about the debacle, given that Clooney is the magazine’s May cover star.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Tom Ford and Vogue Are Reportedly Furious About Amal Clooney’s Met Gala Outfit Changes," 16 May 2018
Thomas keeps many of the classic scenes from the book, including Amy’s (Kathryn Newton) pickled lime debacle, Meg’s (Willa Fitzgerald) scorched ringlets, and Beth’s (Annes Elwy) piano recitals for Mr. Laurence.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Little Women for the Instagram Generation," 14 May 2018
This debacle is like having an aircraft carrier that can’t move off the docks when a war starts.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "About That IRS Computer Crash," 18 Apr. 2018
Thursday’s debacle – Scooter Gennett’s grand slam after entering mid at-bat only to walk Joey Votto – was behind Hand.

— jeff sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Padres play a strong Hand to slow Dodgers' roll," 11 Aug. 2017
Once the dust settled following France's first and only World Cup to date, the inevitable inquest began back in South America after the debacle surrounding both Brazil's performance and the curious case of Ronaldo.

— SI.com, "World Cup Countdown: 5 Weeks to Go - France Claim Maiden World Cup on Home Soil With Win Over Brazil," 19 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year