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
Relevance
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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Because of his show’s cancellation, a wormhole opened up backstage at the Ed Sullivan Theater, collapsing the space between his Strike Force Five co-hosts.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
22 May 2026 -
Seattle’s economy, far from collapsing, continued to boom.—
Nick Hanauer,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The Boys – Season 5 (Prime Video) Things have gone from bad to worse in the final season of The Boys, Prime Video’s irreverent superhero satire about America succumbing to charismatic despots and fascistic opportunists.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Ace Hunter Brown made two starts before succumbing to a shoulder strain and closer Josh Hader has not thrown a pitch in the majors this season.—
Matt Kawahara,
Houston Chronicle,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Colbert’s final show mostly stayed away from politics, with even the opening monologue tending toward less pointed jokes about whimsical subjects like potholes on an airport runway, as if the host was intent on not going out on an adversarial note.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
22 May 2026
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There was a beauty in this ritual, going out and not feeling shame about getting a hair transplant while getting reacquainted with my heritage.—
Matt Ortile,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Deborah pecks her before reluctantly giving in to more passionate smooches.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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Council member Abbie Kamin, one of three members who had pushed for the ordinance, voted against amending it, saying that doing so was giving in to bullying tactics from state leaders.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Multiple organizations have taken issue with the proposal, writing letters and submitting petitions to city officials opposing it.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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But the measure doesn’t prevent search committees from submitting a single name as a finalist, essentially moving the entire search process behind closed doors.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
22 May 2026
Verb
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The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Shania Twain, are airing live on Prime Video and Amazon Music from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, meaning some of the genre's biggest stars are going home with new accolades under their belts.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
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Police said officers responded to shootings involving apartment buildings and homes while going door-to-door to ensure residents had not been injured.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And that’s what sent me sort of tumbling down the rabbit hole.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
16 May 2026
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The resulting brawl saw the alligator rapidly tumbling at the officers like a log rolling down hill.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
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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 24 May. 2026.
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