shambles

noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction

sham·bles | \ˈsham-bəlz

Definition of shambles

1 archaic : a meat market

2 : slaughterhouse

3a : a place of mass slaughter or bloodshed the battlefield became a shambles

b : a scene or a state of great destruction : wreckage the city was a shambles after the bombing

c(1) : a scene or a state of great disorder or confusion an economy in shambles

(2) : great confusion : mess

Examples of shambles in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The party is in a shambles in Southern California, one of its key regions for regaining control of the House. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Is the World Done With Liberal Democracy?," 1 June 2018 With his transcript in shambles, Joe went back to the Philadelphia area where his family lived and took a job at a paper company alongside his father. — Jim Stingl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Stingl: Marquette University dropout in 1974 finally went back and is graduating at age 65," 18 May 2018 There has, moreover, been no giant spasm of regret over Brexit, even with the negotiations in a complete shambles. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Is the World Done With Liberal Democracy?," 1 June 2018 The once-harmonious bond between franchise and city was a shambles. — Jack Harris, azcentral, "Before Arizona snagged 2023 Super Bowl, Cardinals and Glendale had to make up," 30 May 2018 Goalkeepers Who's Hot Loris Karius - Liverpool may be something of a shambles at the back but Karius kept a clean sheet against Huddersfield before saving Harry Kane's first penalty on Sunday. — SI.com, "Premier League Fantasy Football: Who's Hot and Who's Not in Gameweek 27," 9 Feb. 2018 While Conte's title defence at Chelsea has been a shambles, Sarri has come under fire from Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis over a lack of rotation allowing Juventus to increase their lead over Serie A to six points. — SI.com, "'There Are Ways Out for Both Parties': Chelsea Target Sarri Hints at Possible Napoli Departure," 7 May 2018 Before the lawsuit could be adjudicated, Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck, leaving all financial planning in a shambles. — Mary Williams Walsh, New York Times, "Hurricane Aid Has Eased Puerto Rico’s Finances. It May Not Be Enough.," 19 Apr. 2018 El Inca Venezuelan boxer Edwin Valero held two world titles and never lost a fight, but his private life was a shambles: in April 2010, at age 28, he was arrested for the murder of his wife and hanged himself in his jail cell. — Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, "The wall’s gonna fall at the Chicago Latino Film Festival," 5 Apr. 2018

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