1
as in collapsing
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the wall caved in when a tree fell on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in succumbing
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 caving (in)
Verb
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Those traditional systems are now collapsing alongside aquifers, and ancient settlements in Yazd in central Iran, Kerman in southeast Iran, and Khorasan in northeastern Iran have been abandoned as qanats dried up, aquifers caved in, and land subsided.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025 -
Some of the homes now collapsing were once a few lots back from the beach, local residents told USA TODAY.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bin Laden outlasted Bellevue, too, before succumbing.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Police say that she was shot in the neck by a rifle, surviving long enough to make it to a nearby resident’s front door in an apparent attempt to seek help just a few minutes before succumbing to her injury.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Why is At Home going out of business?—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the USDA paid February benefits early, at the end of January, and Congress passed emergency funding to keep payments going out in March.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The fake Trump ruled out giving in to Democrats’ demands.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Lesson learned, no more giving in to her ridiculous demands.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Defense lawyers also sought to bolster their argument by submitting more than 75 letters of support from Combs' family, former employees, friends and nearly a dozen inmates who have taken his business management class in prison.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
3 Oct. 2025
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Starting on Friday, anyone interested in applying for the role as interim county executive can apply on the county clerk’s website, submitting a short application and resume, McGee said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Westbound Highway 50 traffic is slow-going but lanes appear open.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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The Chiefs — abruptly and strangely — have lost their ability to win one-score games after going 12-0 in those contests during the 2024 season.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The sixth inning also featured a frightening moment when Cleveland’s David Fry, squaring around to bunt, took a 99 mph fastball from Skubal off his face, crumpling to the dirt as Skubal reacted with distress.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Federal funds allowed many schools to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite tumbling enrollment numbers.—
Jeremy Tanner,
The Hill,
29 Sep. 2025
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An unnamed climber lost control while glissading down another route, Avalanche Gulch, tumbling several hundred feet down the mountain.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
25 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Caving (in).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caving%20%28in%29. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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