crumple

1 of 2

verb

crum·​ple ˈkrəm-pəl 

crumpled; crumpling ˈkrəm-p(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to press, bend, or crush out of shape : rumple

2

: to cause to collapse

intransitive verb

1

: to become crumpled

2

: collapse

crumple

2 of 2

noun

: a wrinkle or crease made by crumpling

crumply

ˈkrəm-p(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms of crumple

Verb

• scrunch
• fold
• wrinkle

Examples of crumple in a Sentence

Verb

She crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and tossed it into the garbage can.

The car's fender was crumpled in the accident.

At the sight of blood, he crumpled to the floor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The aircraft crashed to the ground in a private farm field near McMinnville Municipal Airport, officials said, with a red helicopter left crumpled in pieces and a green helicopter lying upside down. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026

On his last two drives, he was pressured into oblivion, forced to throw off-balance once and crumpled to the ground one other time. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026

Noun

Bass in June 2024 saw the patricide plan to it to its end, reducing his father, Gene Bass, to a crumple outside a neighbor’s house in the orderly subdivision where Xavier grew up near North Crowley High School. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026

This post-mounted mailbox is larger than average, which means magazines can lay flat and your mail can arrive without a single crumple or crease. — Mina Dragani, Architectural Digest, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English crumplen, frequentative of Middle English crumpen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1607, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing crumple

• crumple zone
• face crumple

Kids Definition

crumple

verb

crum·​ple

ˈkrəm-pəl

crumpled; crumpling

-p(ə-)liŋ

1

: to press, bend, or crush out of shape

2

: to become crumpled

3

: collapse entry 1 sense 1