crumble

play

verb crum·ble \ ˈkrəm-bəl \

Definition of crumble

crumbled; crumbling play \ˈkrəm-b(ə-)liŋ\

transitive verb

:to break into small pieces

intransitive verb

1 :to fall into small pieces :disintegrate

2 :to break down completely :collapse

marriages crumble

See crumble defined for English-language learners

See crumble defined for kids

Examples of crumble in a Sentence

Crumble the cookies into small bits.
The recipe calls for the herbs to be crumbled.
bones so old they had crumbled to dust
She was extremely depressed after her marriage crumbled.

Recent Examples of crumble from the Web

In 2009, Cohn reportedly took the same tactics that led to the subprime mortgage collapse and offered to apply them in Greece as that country’s economy was crumbling.

— thomas macmillan, Cosmopolitan, "Who Is Gary Cohn? 9 Things You Should Know About the White House Economic Adviser.," 25 Aug. 2017
One quiver of the wrong block and the entire thing could come crumbling down.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Nothing's More Soothing Than a DIY Wooden Domino Setting Machine," 11 Aug. 2017
Add the tremors of climate change — more severe storms, increasingly common and extreme flooding, longer-lasting droughts — and the global transport network that ships enough food each year to feed 2.8 billion people begins to crumble apart.

— scott canon, kansascity, "Climate shifts could clog food routes through Kansas City," 8 Aug. 2017
Both countries urgently need to attend to their crumbling institutions, most importantly their underfunded, unreformed systems of justice and education.

— The Economist, "Reconciliation is not impossible, but it will be a long, slow process," 22 July 2017
Thanks for the info, but sometimes that’s how the cookie crumbles.

— jacqui shine, Longreads, "Percy Ross Wants to Give You Money!," 20 July 2017
Video from the scene captured the crater’s devastation: A house crumbled into the ground as sirens wailed in the background and debris bobbed in the suburb’s newest body of water.

— lindsey bever, Washington Post, "A sinkhole swallowed 2 Florida homes in hours. The devastation was captured on video.," 15 July 2017
That is especially important at a time when the Islamic State group lost not only its urban holdings in Libya but is crumbling in Iraq and Syria.

— hamza hendawi, The Seattle Times, "Militants find sanctuary in Libya’s wild south," 13 July 2017
More specifically, for New Yorkers, this series provides an enticing alternate reality in which the city is full of (mostly) nice people, and the subway is not a crumbling hellhole, but instead a safe space for yelling!

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "The Bold Type Is the Bubbly, Ridiculous Dramedy You Need This Summer," 11 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crumble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crumble

alteration of Middle English kremelen, frequentative of Old English gecrymian to crumble, from cruma

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1547

See Words from the same year

crumble Synonyms

Synonyms

atrophy, deteriorate, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, devolve, ebb, regress, retrograde, rot, sink, worsen

Antonyms

ameliorate, improve, meliorate

Related Words

abate, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, recede, wane; break down, corrupt, decompose, degrade, dilapidate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy; sour, spoil; lessen, lower, reduce; debilitate, undermine; droop, fail, fall, flag, lag, languish, run down, sag, slip, waste (away), weaken, wilt

Near Antonyms

better, upgrade; enhance, enrich, fortify, heighten, intensify, strengthen; advance, develop, march, proceed, progress

crumble

noun

Definition of crumble

1 :something crumbled :fine debris

2 :crisp 2

See crumble defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of crumble from the Web

For an extra-indulgent option, finish it off with some glaze and bacon crumbles on top.

— atlanta life, ajc, "3 sweet reasons to hit up Duck Donuts in Alpharetta," 25 Aug. 2017
Eat this before summer is gone: chunks of ambrosial honeydew and watermelon tossed with snappy string and shell beans, tiny black lentils, and showered with crumbles of briny feta.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "The rural fantasy of Blue Door Farm Stand," 24 Aug. 2017
Place salad in serving bowl and evenly sprinkle with cheese crumbles, sesame seeds and olives.

— judy walker, NOLA.com, "Savory fruit salad recipes to savor summer's bounty," 15 Aug. 2017
Cuomo’s comment came after accusations that the governor was spending money on fancy choreographed light shows on MTA bridges while the subway infrastructure crumbles, which de Blasio didn’t miss the opportunity to criticize.

— jen kirby, Daily Intelligencer, "Governor Cuomo Decides He Actually Doesn’t Run the MTA," 20 July 2017
Political Road Map: Gov. Jerry Brown's wall of debt crumbles, but larger debts remain »

— john myers, latimes.com, "Political Road Map: Here's how aging baby boomers will change the impact of Prop. 13," 9 July 2017
Why modern mortar crumbles, but Roman concrete lasts millennia Modern concrete—used in everything from roads to buildings to bridges—can break down in as few as 50 years.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: The secrets of Roman concrete, superfast stars, and making a pox from mail-order DNA," 7 July 2017
Go Seattle-style with cream cheese, or get fancy with slices of brie or crumbles of blue.

— paula forbes, GQ, "Fifty-Eight Ideas for Hot Dog Toppings," 30 June 2017
Sweet cherries are typically eaten raw, and tart cherries, grown mainly in Michigan and Wisconsin, are great for use in barbecue sauces, as part of a salsa, or baked into sweet treats like pies and crumbles.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Learn to cook with cherries in dishes both sweet and savory," 23 June 2017

First Known Use of crumble

1860

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

CRUMBLE Defined for English Language Learners

crumble

play

verb

Definition of crumble for English Language Learners

: to break (something) into small pieces
: to separate into many small pieces : to fall apart
: to break down completely : to stop functioning

crumble

noun

Definition of crumble for English Language Learners

crumbles : small pieces of something that has been crumbled

CRUMBLE Defined for Kids

crumble

play

verb crum·ble \ ˈkrəm-bəl \

Definition of crumble for Students

crumbled; crumbling

1 :to break into small pieces

crumble bread

2 :to fall to pieces :fall into ruin

Any moment these walls may crumble upon us …
—Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee

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See words that rhyme with crumble Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crumble Spanish Central: Translation of crumble Nglish: Translation of crumble for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of crumble for Arabic speakers

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crumble

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Definition of crumble for English Language Learners

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