as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the stock of the energy company crumbled after the revelations of fraud and mismanagement
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Recent Examples of crumble
Failing to correct problems can lead to crumbling home foundations, rotting wood, mold growth, and a proliferation of pests, including termites.
—
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
In the maelstrom of modern war, presumed certainties crumble like piecrust.
—George F. Will, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Shortly after the Anthropic agreement came crumbling down last month, Sam Altman’s OpenAI reached an agreement with the Pentagon to allow use of the startup’s AI models and tools.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Zynex begins to crumble The facade eventually started to crumble when insurance providers began to catch on to the scheme.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumble
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
In the maelstrom of modern war, presumed certainties crumble like piecrust.
—George F. Will, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2026
Shortly after the Anthropic agreement came crumbling down last month, Sam Altman’s OpenAI reached an agreement with the Pentagon to allow use of the startup’s AI models and tools.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Zynex begins to crumble The facade eventually started to crumble when insurance providers began to catch on to the scheme.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumble
Verb
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Their goal was to get control over their local water supply like their neighbors, in order to upgrade deteriorating infrastructure and rein in rising water rates.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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The turtle slows, more organisms attach, and the animal’s condition deteriorates.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Over the past few days, the biggest tennis stars in the world have descended on the tony desert enclave of Indian Wells, California for the BNP Paribas Open, also known as Tennis Paradise.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Even as busloads of Bruins fans descended on Galen Center, turning USC’s arena into hostile territory, the Trojans showed signs of life early on.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tim Pennington called again that evening, Bell said, to ask for prayers as his son's condition was worsening, and then later told him the soldier had succumbed to his injuries.—
ALLEN G. BREED,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
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Behind the scenes, DHS officials worry that the longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk that more TSA employees will leave, worsening staffing shortages beyond the immediate crisis.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Scientists disagree on whether these young trees will mature into forest giants or decline due to drought and a warming climate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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But exactly how the tragedy unfolded has remained unclear and the Pentagon has declined comment, saying the investigation remains ongoing.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumble. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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