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

At the scene, a white minivan lay on its side near the track, its front badly crumpled. — Reuters, NBC news, 26 May 2026

Nearby, a different video shows her pink jacket crumpled on the sidewalk and a green purse. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2026

Noun

Bonus points for pairs that won’t crease, crumple, or crinkle when they’re folded. — Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 26 July 2025

Each card makes the fire burn a little brighter, a burst of light and memory as the paper singes and crumples. — Time, 12 July 2023

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