1
as in to tumble
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the motel balcony collapsed under the weight of so many people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fail
to be unsuccessful
the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to compress
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
the novel collapses events from four separate trips into one long odyssey
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in exhaustion
a complete depletion of energy or strength
suffered a mental collapse under the strain of studying for his bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defeat
a falling short of one's goals
the complete collapse of the invasion set off a round of finger-pointing and recrimination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of collapse
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
One person is dead after a vehicle crashed into a concrete post supporting an overhead highway sign, causing the sign to collapse and close the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 late Thursday in Johnson County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
Girod represents five clients with relationships to victims of the bridge collapse.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
His weapon fired, and Pierre collapsed with a gunshot wound to the chest.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
One person is dead after a vehicle crashed into a concrete post supporting an overhead highway sign, causing the sign to collapse and close the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 late Thursday in Johnson County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
With Jax’s most loyal client at the center of a spiraling media disaster, The Stewart Firm is thrust into a high-stakes battle where every move could mean survival … or the collapse of the firm.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
Girod represents five clients with relationships to victims of the bridge collapse.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
-
On Friday, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz fully open to commercial traffic, sending crude prices tumbling more than 10%.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The flagellar bundle falls apart, and the cell tumbles.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If Campbell fails, then speculation can fairly begin.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Just to recap, Dach had the puck in overtime in the neutral zone but failed to gain the red line before flipping the puck down the ice to get a change, being forced to stay on the ice when that puck crossed the Lightning goal line for an icing.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Squeezing their thighs into pants that are too tight to compress the cellulite.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In practice, this looks like development timelines compressing because approvals and feasibility checks move earlier.—
John Brearley,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When John begins spitting out his food, his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), worn down by exhaustion and anger, banishes him from the dinner table—the first in an unceasing series of maternal rejections.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Sepideh Moafi is incredible in this scene, perfectly hitting every note of the anger, fear, and exhaustion Al-Hashimi is feeling.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Indiana dealt him a miserable Rose Bowl defeat at Pasadena, in a playoff game.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Wasted in Colorado’s defeat on Thursday was left fielder Mickey Moniak’s 4-for-5 performance that included two solo home runs.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As propaganda goes, the patriotic programming was benign.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Murakami connected for a two-run home run to right, which went 425 feet, in the fifth inning.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Under Cook, the company has become less surprising but massively financially successful; some of Apple’s newer products have flopped or underperformed, but far more have become and stayed excellent thanks to years of competent iteration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Large blooms can cause shoots to flop.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When picking your own, avoid squeezing the berries.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
-
That’s way too much time to squeeze into a mere 140 minutes.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
