to crumble

Examples

• All

• Paper and packing materials crumble beneath them and scatter across the floor.

  Fiction book (1990)

• The whole operation crumbled.

  Renegades (2022)

• I am kind of scared that my units will crumble, but not so scared.

• And it's like, yo, so many people crumble in that moment.

• Some people crumble when people are harsh with them.

  DoctorRamani

• Either we heal as a team... ...or we're gonna crumble.

  Any Given Sunday (1999)

• So that's going to crumble under the pressure right there.

• But you have to understand, Matthew sees his world as crumbling all around him.

  WWJD II: The Woodcarver (2012)

• Their education today takes place in a crumbling and corrupted public system.

  Academic text (1999)

• Society was crumbling.

  Kundun (1997)

Synonyms

B

to break

vsto crumble

∞ 1.0

To change a large bill into smaller bills

is specifically about crumbling into small fragments or weakening before collapse

C

to collapse

vsto crumble

579 3.9

To fall down suddenly, for example when a person faints or a building breaks

tends to describe gradual weakening or breaking into small parts rather than sudden failure

B

to break down

vsto crumble

194 3.2

To stop working because of a problem

applies to physical materials losing cohesion and falling into many small parts

F

to fall apart

vsto crumble

155 2.8

To break into pieces or stop working properly

often involves slow weakening and breaking into smaller pieces rather than failure only

E

to erode

vsto crumble

83 4.2

Gradually make someone's trust, belief, or support weaker over time

can be quicker and often results in physical small fragments rather than only loss over time

S

to shatter

vsto crumble

72 2.8

To break suddenly into many small pieces, like glass

is usually less violent and can be slower, producing small soft fragments

B

to break up

vsto crumble

66 2.7

Separate something into smaller pieces

usually describes unplanned weakening and breaking into small fragments rather than deliberate division

C

to come apart

vsto crumble

44 3.1

To break into pieces or fall into separate parts

is more about slow weakening or breaking into many small bits

U

to unravel

vsto crumble

38 4.3

To come apart into threads, like a rope or cloth

is more general, applying to many materials breaking into small fragments not only threads

D

to decay

vsto crumble

37 4.4

To slowly fall into ruin because of age or neglect

is often a physical breaking into small pieces rather than only slow deterioration

D

to disintegrate

vsto crumble

35 5.8

Fall apart into smaller pieces or stop working together

can be less total loss, often describing gradual weakening into crumbs

F

to fall in

vsto crumble

30 4.4

To collapse inward, as a roof or organization breaking down

is broader, often meaning gradual disintegration into small particles rather than inward fall

B

to break apart

vsto crumble

26 3.0

To separate into pieces, for example a machine or a group

is more about gradual disintegration into small particles or weakness

C

to crumple

vsto crumble

22 3.9

Suddenly fall down because something is weak or hit hard

can be slower and describes gradual fragmenting rather than abrupt collapse

C

to cave in

vsto crumble

22 3.7

Suddenly fall inward because its sides or top become weak, for example a tunnel

focuses more on slow loss of strength and breaking into small pieces

Phrasal Verbs

B

to begin to crumble

4 4.0

Start to break into pieces or stop working well

How Broken

to disintegrate

35 5.8

to crumble

177 3.4

to break

∞ 1.0

to chip

104 2.3

to crack

311 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology