1
as in scrunching
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in
crumpled the piece of paper and angrily threw it in the wastebasket
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapsing
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of crumpling
Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.
—
CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The Material steak knives arrived sharp, slicing through a piece of paper rather than crumpling its edge.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
Kamau fading, then lunging, then crumpling to the pavement at the line.
—Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
The question is whether the world can take that long of a shock without crumpling beneath the weight of rising inflation and staggering growth.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
The Material steak knives arrived sharp, slicing through a piece of paper rather than crumpling its edge.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
Kamau fading, then lunging, then crumpling to the pavement at the line.
—Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
The question is whether the world can take that long of a shock without crumpling beneath the weight of rising inflation and staggering growth.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumpling
Verb
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In the meantime, Atomi encourages people to try the supine core and toe-scrunching exercises at home.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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He could be seen scrunching his face in anticipation.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There have been 22 reports of the stools collapsing, with six injuries, including bruising and scrapes.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
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Cuba’s economy, which has been in a steep decline for several years, has hit rock bottom, and the population has been enduring shortages, blackouts and the effects of collapsing infrastructure.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Online, this generally meant that creators encouraged their followers to pair a healthy habit with a fun or existing one (scrolling while walking on the treadmill, for example) or to just link two good behaviors together (folding laundry between breaks of your at-home workout).—
Julia Landwehr,
Health,
18 May 2026
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It is still barely decorated, just a corkboard pinned with photos of the boys and a folding table covered with stacks of reports.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
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And that’s what sent me sort of tumbling down the rabbit hole.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
16 May 2026
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The resulting brawl saw the alligator rapidly tumbling at the officers like a log rolling down hill.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Nothing kills an outfit faster than a rigid denim waistband digging into your sides or linen trousers wrinkling at the first sign of sitting.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
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This helps prevent wrinkling and allows the sheets to be cleaned thoroughly, Sullivan and Wang say.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumpling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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