debacle

noun

de·​ba·​cle dē-ˈbä-kəl How to pronounce debacle (audio)
di-,
-ˈba- How to pronounce debacle (audio)
nonstandard
ˈde-bə-kəl How to pronounce debacle (audio)
variants or less commonly débâcle
dē-ˈbä-kəl How to pronounce debacle (audio)
di-,
-ˈba- How to pronounce debacle (audio)
 also  dā-ˈbäk(lᵊ),
-ˈbä-kəl
 How to pronounce debacle (audio)
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

Did you know?

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."

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 on the Web The debacle hasn’t done anything to bolster the already-tenuous level of trust between the federal government and college officials across the country, many of whom have spent the last few months pulling their hair out amid a barrage of problems with the new FAFSA. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2024 These sorts of reservation debacles aren’t just bad for restaurants. Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 29 Feb. 2024 The WeWork debacle underscores the challenge of escaping the shadow of SoftBank, one of the world’s most idiosyncratic investors, which had $413.6 billion in assets at its March 2021 peak. Devon Pendleton, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 The immediate future involves a chance at winning the W Gold Cup, the first tournament for the national team since last summer’s World Cup debacle. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 The Justice Department inquiry disclosed in a report Thursday is the latest twist in a debacle that began in October after a robotaxi operated by GM's Cruise subsidiary dragged a pedestrian about 20 feet after the person was struck in San Francisco by another vehicle driven by a human. Michael Liedtke, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 Trump's golden sneakers turned up a rich history of political footwear debacles. Holly J. Morris, NPR, 23 Feb. 2024 In the wake of the WallStreetBets debacle, Reddit announced a new, $250 million funding round that valued the company at $6 billion. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 Kelly Rowland is welcome back on Today anytime after that dressing room debacle. EW.com, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'debacle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of debacle was in 1802

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Dictionary Entries Near debacle

Cite this Entry

“Debacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debacle. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

debacle

noun
de·​ba·​cle
variants also débâcle
di-ˈbäk-əl How to pronounce debacle (audio)
-ˈbak-
: a great disaster or complete failure
the army's retreat was a debacle

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