caved (in)

verb

past tense of cave (in)
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)
  1. collapsed
  2. succumbed
  3. crumpled
  4. submitted
Verb
  • Thirty-odd years after Communist rule collapsed in eastern Europe, Budapest finally feels revitalized.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Many of those on that flight were killed when a hotel they were being housed at collapsed in the quake.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapsed
Verb
  • The second quarter could mark a new direction for the brand, which has succumbed to two consecutive quarters of sales declines and muted growth before that.
    — Ella Graveney, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Charlotte Flair’s gear was dedicated to a young WWE fan named Scarlett who recently succumbed to brain cancer.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of succumbed
Verb
  • The 23-year-old crumpled to the ground, clutching his left hand before walking off with trainers.
    — Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
  • By all accounts, DC Studios’ Supergirl crumpled beneath the red sun of paltry box-office returns, taking in just $38 million domestically over its opening weekend.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of crumpled
Verb
  • Two weeks later, a group of residents calling themselves the Hogg Hummock Community Ordinance Draft Coalition submitted an ordinance proposal.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • During the post arrest investigation, the government submitted warrants for Lemon’s YouTube subscribers, which was rejected by a federal judge.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of submitted
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.

Browse Nearby Words

caved
caved (in)
cave (in)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Caved (in).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caved%20%28in%29. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All