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
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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
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1
as in exhaustion
a complete depletion of energy or strength
suffered a mental collapse under the strain of studying for his bar exam
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapse
Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
On even longer timescales, the remnant black holes that were created, whether from stellar explosions, neutron star mergers, a collapsing gas cloud, or having grown into supermassive behemoths, will all evaporate.
—Big Think, 20 Feb. 2026
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
For a nonprofit predicated on the value of accountability, Remake’s IRS filings revealed a few cracks in the armor preceding its collapse.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
The 34-year-old Diggins, racing in her final season, collapsed to the ground, shouting in pain after finishing the freestyle race and adding to her gold, silver and bronze career medal tally.
—Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
On even longer timescales, the remnant black holes that were created, whether from stellar explosions, neutron star mergers, a collapsing gas cloud, or having grown into supermassive behemoths, will all evaporate.
—Big Think, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
Barring a major collapse, the Horned Frogs seem a safe bet to finish high enough to host the first two rounds.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Feb. 2026
For a nonprofit predicated on the value of accountability, Remake’s IRS filings revealed a few cracks in the armor preceding its collapse.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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Insurance brokers tumbled on another program tied to OpenAI.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Set your dryer to tumble-dry on low.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Israel’s government has repeatedly criticized its counterpart in Australia for failing to address antisemitic attacks in the country.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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Zimmerman also argued that the trial attorneys failed to hire experts to testify on Serafini’s behalf in the trial, and that Dratman did not provide much of a defense in his closing argument.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The idea of compressing a mattress every day sounds like a shortcut to premature wear.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
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Vendors built on per-seat licensing and static tools are seeing their economics squeezed as AI systems compress development timelines and reduce maintenance overhead.—
David Stout,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Combining heavy amounts of alcohol on top of exhaustion and a lack of food, Sullivan blacked out.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2026
-
In Worcester, which lay more than 40 miles from the Charlestown line, a parched and dusty rider arrived at the square in front of the church, where his horse collapsed in exhaustion.—
Kostya Kennedy,
Time,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Aston Villa 2-1 Leeds Brentford vs Brighton Brighton are playing better than a horrible run of results — one win, six draws, and six defeats in their last 13 Premier League games — suggests.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The blowout loss would mark not only the biggest margin of defeat for the Trojans in two seasons under Musselman but also the first time USC (18-8 overall, 7-8 in the Big Ten) has given up more than 100 points in a game since 2019.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As talented journalists go independent on Substack and YouTube and other legacy publications like The New York Times lean into personalization in nearly every element of their business, The Economist has resisted change.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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What makes the shoe so appealing is its nonchalant, slip-on-and-go versatility.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the new uniforms flopped spectacularly upon their debut in spring training, with players complaining that the jerseys looked cheap, felt papery and that the names on the back were too small.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Neo is a few blocks from another property that flopped into financial woes.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Its basic ingredients include tequila, lime juice (ideally freshly squeezed), orange liqueur like triple sec, and usually salt on the rim.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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Many are no doubt operating with the salary-cap space required to squeeze an extension for McDuffie into their budget.—
Sam McDowell
February 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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