1
as in collapsed
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the wall caved in when a tree fell on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in succumbed
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)
I caved in to my bibliomania and bought two more books last week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caved (in)
Verb
-
Following the 2008 financial crisis, several of Spain’s major industries collapsed, the unemployment rate soared to 27 percent, and the banking system entered such a vicious cycle that not even the Spanish government could afford to rescue it (hence, the EU bailout).—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026 -
Revenue grew, but margins collapsed and management became chaotic.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Both eventually succumbed to their injuries.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
-
The latest, wild card Clément Tabur, put up resistance but ultimately succumbed 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the French Open Tuesday.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
MacKinnon initially crumpled to the ice in pain after blocking the shot, briefly getting to one knee and clearing the puck out of the defensive zone before falling back to the ice.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
25 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
Verb
-
In the motion submitted May 1, Cassie argued that Howard's lawsuit should be transferred out of California courts and into a New York court, where dozens of similar Diddy claims were already filed.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
In order to secure the funds, the family members submitted fake financial instruments and money orders, continuing to do so even after the IRS sent them letters telling them to stop, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Caved (in).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caved%20%28in%29. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
