wipeout

American  

[wahyp-out] / ˈwaɪpˌaʊt /

Or wipe-out

noun

1. Informal. destruction, annihilation, or murder.

2. Informal. (in sports) a decisive defeat.

3. a fall from a surfboard.

4. Slang. a total or complete failure.

   to suffer a wipeout in the stock market.

5. Slang. complete physical exhaustion.

---

Etymology

Origin of wipeout

First recorded in 1920–25; noun use of verb phrase wipe out

Example Sentences

Even if they prove fairly insulated from a wipeout, they do stand to lose significant business from the whole mess.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The leverage some traders pile on to their bets can lead to a total wipeout in seconds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Bond investors, by contrast, are generally expecting a fixed return—the interest they are being paid—and some small appreciation, while taking on the risk, however small, of a total wipeout in the case of default.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

He developed a wipeout splitter and increased the velocity on his fastball, enough to merit perhaps a two-year, $20-million deal.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025

Investors who owned the fund ahead of the wipeout lost their entire investment.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 23, 2025