crumbled; crumbling
ˈkrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 
: to break into small pieces
1
: to fall into small pieces : disintegrate
2
: to break down completely : collapse
marriages crumble
1
: something crumbled : fine debris
2
Examples of crumble in a Sentence
Verb
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 on the Web
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Non-Orientable Nkansa, 2017, one of his earliest large-scale installations, announced his dedication to monumental assemblages that fixate on negligence and crumbling edifices.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Top with the crumble, pressing down evenly.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumble
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Verb
Things had crumbled enough that Sasaki emerged as a logical option.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Non-Orientable Nkansa, 2017, one of his earliest large-scale installations, announced his dedication to monumental assemblages that fixate on negligence and crumbling edifices.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
The new Franken-Candy Sundae consists of vanilla soft serve topped with a mix of Oreo cookie crumbles, layers of purple Franken-Candy syrup, and purple and green popping candy on top.
—Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Top with the crumble, pressing down evenly.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumble
Cite this Entry
“Crumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crumble. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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