1
as in to scrunch
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in
crumpled the piece of paper and angrily threw it in the wastebasket
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the box crumpled when I accidentally dropped a brick on it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crumple
MacKinnon initially crumpled to the ice in pain after blocking the shot, briefly getting to one knee and clearing the puck out of the defensive zone before falling back to the ice.
—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Nearby, a different video shows her pink jacket crumpled on the sidewalk and a green purse.
—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
The hardcore ankle boots are now dehydrated and crumpled.
—
Liana Satenstein,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagán crumpled to the ground with an injury after throwing just one pitch on Tuesday.
—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Nearby, a different video shows her pink jacket crumpled on the sidewalk and a green purse.
—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
The hardcore ankle boots are now dehydrated and crumpled.
—
Liana Satenstein,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagán crumpled to the ground with an injury after throwing just one pitch on Tuesday.
—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumple
Verb
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Simply add an excess of your preferred oil or gel and scrunch away.
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As the players headed to their benches and the officials took their customary walks to the scorer’s table for the time out, Atkinson scrunched his face, stuck out his hands, and mockingly clapped toward Blair — who ignored the obvious taunt.
Verb
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The camaraderie was evident on the ground here in La Guaira, the coastal city where quake damage was most severe, collapsing dozens of buildings.
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The dogs, specially trained to detect human scent, have spent days searching for people trapped beneath the rubble of nearly 200 buildings that collapsed following the two powerful back-to-back earthquakes.
Verb
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Items including coolers, folding chairs, frisbees, balls, metal drink containers and aerosol cans — including spray sunscreen — are prohibited.
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Others, like Castro, sat outside their homes and businesses on folding chairs and patio furniture, as the marchers, fire trucks and floats went by.
Verb
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On their way in, crews had to clear debris from multiple floors; aside from chunks of concrete, masonry and flooring, obstacles included a bathroom sink and toilet that had tumbled down from above.
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Tongaat tumbled into business rescue — similar to Chapter 11 in the US — after corrupt bookkeeping practices blew a hole in its balance sheet in 2018.
Verb
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Shoppers love that the linen-like fabric doesn't wrinkle the way traditional linen often does, and several petite reviewers said the length works especially well for them.
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My picks include travel-friendly outfits that won’t wrinkle in your suitcase, sets that are polished enough to wear to dinner, and easy errand-running duos that take the stress out of getting dressed in the morning—all starting at just $15.
Cite this Entry
“Crumple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumple. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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