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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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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Recent Examples of crumple
Canning lay crumpled in a heap next to the mound while the bullpen phone rang with the directive to get Austin Warren into the game.
—
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025
After crossing the finish line, Kipyegon crumpled to the track and lay there for a minute, covered by a Kenyan flag.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
Then Jayson Tatum crumpled to the court in Madison Square Garden and the more painful reality is the Cavs may have missed a chance at a championship.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 14 May 2025
My heart crumples on the Friday morning of a Dad Weekend, knowing that the kiss goodbye before school is not just for the day.
—Domenica Ruta, People.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025
After crossing the finish line, Kipyegon crumpled to the track and lay there for a minute, covered by a Kenyan flag.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 26 June 2025
Then Jayson Tatum crumpled to the court in Madison Square Garden and the more painful reality is the Cavs may have missed a chance at a championship.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 14 May 2025
My heart crumples on the Friday morning of a Dad Weekend, knowing that the kiss goodbye before school is not just for the day.
—Domenica Ruta, People.com, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumple
Verb
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The sequence lasts nearly two minutes without a word spoken by either: just Jess breathing deeply, eyes shut, face scrunched up, as Felix stares at the ceiling, then at her, before finally inching closer.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
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Why Jobe will not face Jude Rip up the paper, scrunch it up in a ball, and throw it in the bin.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The episode ended with a deep-fake public service announcement that showed Trump walking through the desert, taking off his clothes and collapsing nude in the sand.—
Christine Ricciardi,
Chicago Tribune,
25 July 2025
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Just two weeks after collapsing twice during the opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship, Hull returned this week to compete at the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The collapse of Higher Ground Education may seem like a simple business story, but when businesses falter and fold in the education space, there are always students, parents, teachers, and families that are collatoral damage.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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Austin has welcomed an exciting array of restaurants into the dining fold over the last year or so.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Verb
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One option could be to 'tumble' the regolith, turning it over repeatedly so that the heat is more evenly applied, but this slows the extraction of water and increases the mechanical complexity of the process.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
17 July 2025
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Still, the episode sent stock prices tumbling and bond yields climbing, until Trump’s disavowal restored calm to the markets.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
17 July 2025
Verb
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The fabric is lightweight, doesn’t wrinkle easily, and rolls up compactly for packing.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 July 2025
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Clothes removed from these bags are almost always wrinkled.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumple. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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