debacle
a sudden and complete failure or collapse
Word origin: From French debacle, a breaking up of ice, from debacler, to unbar.
Debacle in a sentence
Here are example sentences showing debacle in a sentence.
The launch turned into a debacle when the system crashed on day one.
The product launch became a debacle when the servers crashed within minutes of going live.
Using “debacle” well
Debacle denotes a sudden, total, often humiliating failure, stronger than a simple setback. It pairs with fiasco and catastrophe.
More GRE words starting with D
to engage in something superficially or as a casual pastime
a raised platform for speakers or honored guests
to waste time or act without urgency
to make something slightly wet, or to make a feeling or reaction less strong
marked with spots or patches of color or light
to intimidate or discourage with fear or doubt
to move slowly or waste time idly
a scarcity or shortage of something
Questions about “debacle”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Definitions in isolation do not stick. Sit a free, full-length GRE mock and meet this vocabulary inside real text completion and sentence equivalence questions, with your score and a worked solution for every answer.