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
K.j. Yossman, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
The star's security team is facing accusations her security team made young fan cry, and the fan's famous family spoke out about the debacle.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Employers and school leaders have rightly wised up to the dangers and complexities of winter weather driving, especially after 2014’s Snowmageddon debacle.
—Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 22 Mar. 2026
The Hope Florida debacle can’t be forgotten.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 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 30 Mar. 2026.
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debacle
noun
