collapse

1 of 2

verb

col·​lapse kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
collapsed; collapsing

intransitive verb

1
: to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure
a blood vessel that collapsed
2
: to break down completely : disintegrate
… his case had collapsed in a mass of legal wreckage …Erle Stanley Gardner
3
: to cave or fall in or give way
The bridge collapsed.
4
: to suddenly lose force, significance, effectiveness, or worth
fears that the currency may collapse
5
: to break down in vital energy, stamina, or self-control through exhaustion or disease
She came home from work and collapsed on the sofa.
especially : to fall helpless or unconscious
He collapsed on stage during the performance.
6
: to fold down into a more compact shape
a chair that collapses
a collapsing golf club that can fit into a travel bag

transitive verb

1
: to cause to collapse
buildings collapsed by an earthquake
He knelt for a long time, first watching the bay below, then collapsing the spyglass and settling his hands on his legs in a thoughtful pose.Heather Dunboine
2
: condense
collapse several stories into one

collapse

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a breakdown in vital energy, strength, or stamina
suffered a mental collapse
b
: a state of extreme prostration and physical depression (as from circulatory failure or great loss of body fluids)
c
: an airless state of all or part of a lung originating spontaneously or induced surgically
2
: the act or action of collapsing
the cutting of many tent ropes, the collapse of the canvasRudyard Kipling
3
: a sudden failure : breakdown, ruin
the collapse of the government
4
: a sudden loss of force, value, or effect
the collapse of respect for ancient law and customL. S. B. Leakey

Examples of collapse in a Sentence

Verb The roof collapsed under a heavy load of snow. The chair he was sitting in collapsed. He collapsed on stage during the performance and had to be rushed to the hospital. She came home from work and collapsed on the sofa. The crying child ran to his mother and collapsed in her arms. The civilization collapsed for reasons that are still unknown. He warned that such measures could cause the economy to collapse. Noun The structure is in danger of collapse. She was on the verge of collapse. The country has endured civil war and economic collapse.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Dense clumps within these clouds can collapse to form protostars. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Cara Delevingne’s home in Studio City, California, was consumed by flames early Friday morning, causing the roof to collapse. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Reddit also built a program called Collectible Avatars that would let artists sell digital characters—and launched it into a market that was already collapsing, spectacularly. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 As security collapsed in the north, aid deliveries all but ceased. Yasmeen Abutaleb, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 For example, in 2017, when Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and completely collapsed both the telecom and the electrical grids, for about a week there was no way to process electronic payments. María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Henry, a 3-year-old male on the team of musher Calvin Daugherty, collapsed 10 miles before the Shaktoolik checkpoint, according to the Iditarod Trail Committee. USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 And what was the use of owning land when the world was collapsing? Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 As Venus and Uranus clash, new partnerships form and others collapse. USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024
Noun
State collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Haiti fuels migration and unrest. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 16 Mar. 2024 So too, however, is the pressure on the team to perform this year; not only because of their $1-billion offseason spending spree, but also the haunting memories of their recent postseason collapses. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 The bill sought to prevent parking garage collapses like the one that took a chunk out of Bayshore mall's garage in February 2023. Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 But while the series starts strong and captures your interest for five of its seven episodes, by the finale all the exhilaration of domestic mystery collapses. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Bank Crisis: Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse last March set the stage for a clash between bankers and their regulators. Erin Griffith, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Against the caliber of team that has given the Warriors fits this year, Golden State put together its finest half of the season and avoided the type of second-half collapse that has spoiled so many of their games. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Dujarric, the spokesman for Guterres, told reporters in New York on Wednesday that Haiti’s health infrastructure is on the brink of collapse. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The West Bank’s already fragile economy is on the verge of collapse. Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'collapse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Latin collapsus, past participle of collabi, from com- + labi to fall, slide — more at sleep

First Known Use

Verb

1620, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of collapse was in 1620

Dictionary Entries Near collapse

Cite this Entry

“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collapse. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

collapse

1 of 2 verb
col·​lapse kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
collapsed; collapsing
1
: to fall or shrink together abruptly
a blood vessel that collapsed
2
: to break down completely
the opponent's resistance collapsed
3
: to cave or fall in or give way
the tunnel collapsed
4
: to suddenly lose value or effectiveness
the country's currency collapsed
5
: to break down physically or mentally because of exhaustion or disease
6
: to fold together
a chair that collapses
collapsible adjective

collapse

2 of 2 noun
: the act or an instance of collapsing : breakdown

Medical Definition

collapse

1 of 2 verb
col·​lapse kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
collapsed; collapsing

intransitive verb

1
: to fall or shrink together abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened mass through the force of external pressure
a blood vessel that collapsed
2
: to break down in vital energy, stamina, or self-control through exhaustion or disease
especially : to fall helpless or unconscious

transitive verb

: to cause to collapse
collapsing an infected lung
collapsibility noun
collapsible adjective

collapse

2 of 2 noun
1
: a breakdown in vital energy, strength, or stamina : complete sudden enervation
the daughter's mental collapse through mounting frustrationLeslie Rees
2
: a state of extreme prostration and physical depression resulting from circulatory failure, great loss of body fluids, or heart disease and occurring terminally in diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and pneumonia
3
: an airless state of a lung of spontaneous origin or induced surgically see atelectasis
4
: an abnormal falling together of the walls of an organ
collapse of blood vessels

More from Merriam-Webster on collapse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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