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
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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
Singh was blocking both lanes of the northbound Turnpike when Dufresne’s Chrysler Town & Country minivan hit the truck, crumpling underneath the 18-wheeler’s trailer.
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Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumpling
Verb
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And some ankle booties with wedge heels might appear moderate, but can actually throw your weight onto the balls of your feet, scrunching your toes up against the toe box.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The carrier warned that incorrect declarations can result in cargo shifting or collapsing, alongside other accidents like chemical reactions, fires or even explosions.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Sep. 2025
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Some were collapsing or fire-damaged, others left vacant after the house next door burned.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Items to bring include a flashlight with a red balloon over the lens and a folding chair.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
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Stretch them over cylindrical vases, folding the edge over the rim and securing them with double-sided tape if needed.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the announcement of company lifer Fiddelke’s ascension to the top job last month was greeted with tumbling stock shares because some investors wanted an outsider.—
Dan Gingiss,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The footage shows an MQ-9 Reaper drone tracking the object before a second drone fires a Hellfire missile, sending fragments tumbling around it.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After a nutria was tossed fifteen or twenty times, snotlike entrails began to protrude from the bullet holes, at which point Miss Louisiana, wrinkling her nose, would place it in a trash bucket and select a fresh carcass from the cooler.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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The 30-percent linen two-piece is breathable, comfortable, and resists wrinkling—ideal for flights and airport days.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumpling. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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