Utter failure (7)
I believe the answer is:
debacle
'utter failure' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for debacle that I've seen before include "Utter failure" , "foul-up" , "Disatrous collapse" , "Sudden disastrous collapse or defeat" , "A complete collapse or messy failure" .)