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
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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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapse
Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 13 June 2026
But in November 2022, the company collapsed in a matter of days as a CoinDesk report found Alameda Research, a crypto company with close ties to FTX, had a significant number of FTX tokens on its balance sheet, while Forbes reported FTX and Alameda had been losing billions between 2021 and 2022.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Britton Bloch, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Bankman-Fried was convicted of masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in history stemming from the collapse of the crypto-exchange FTX.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
The agreement would include a 60-day extension of the current ceasefire, which effectively collapsed this week with both sides resuming strikes.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 13 June 2026
But in November 2022, the company collapsed in a matter of days as a CoinDesk report found Alameda Research, a crypto company with close ties to FTX, had a significant number of FTX tokens on its balance sheet, while Forbes reported FTX and Alameda had been losing billions between 2021 and 2022.
—Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Noun
For executive teams, this matters because dysfunction rarely begins as visible collapse.
—Britton Bloch, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Bankman-Fried was convicted of masterminding one of the largest financial frauds in history stemming from the collapse of the crypto-exchange FTX.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
-
Leading up to Sunday’s announcement, oil prices had already tumbled more than 6% over the last week in anticipation of an agreement.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
15 June 2026
-
Meanwhile, oil prices tumbled, with WTI and Brent hitting the lowest levels since March 10.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
State officials said dikes could fail near the town of Mount Vernon, which is southwest of Everson, as the Skagit River approaches a potentially record-setting crest.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The incident is widely considered one of the most painful moments of the war for Israelis and sparked fresh outrage at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to secure a hostage deal.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
These new findings come just a year after another team looked at the old data to conclude that the solar wind had indeed compressed Uranus' magnetosphere, squeezing out the plasma normally present.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Aside from the delivery process, the mattress was compressed, which made moving it up to my apartment easier.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Eventually, Nomkhitha’s exhaustion and fury at having her home violated overpowered her fear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
Early physical symptoms of heat illness may be mistaken for fatigue, thirst or exhaustion, according to Joslin.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The Knicks had their 13-game winning streak end in Game 3 and seemed headed for a second straight defeat throughout the first half, when Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs opened the biggest halftime lead by a visiting team in the Finals.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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Knicks lose, chaos ensues Monday's game was the first time in the Finals that the Knicks had lost, and some crowds became downright rowdy at the team's first defeat since late April.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes a little luck can go a long way, and Japan found that out firsthand in its 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in group stage action in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
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There are more than 20,000 UFC fans on the Ellipse of the White House, and nearly all of them went wild when Diego Lopes took down Steve Garcia in the second round of the first fight.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The doctor took Easton from my husband and placed him on the bed seat and tried to sit him up, and Easton flopped over.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Dec. 2025
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No slots will be played in Manhattan, where zero casinos won approval in earlier rounds of the licensing process, and Brooklynites will just have to dip over to the Aqueduct after a Coney Island project, which faced intense local opposition, also flopped.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In an era of squeezing margins, a deliberate focus on premium products is a business survival tactic.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
9 Dec. 2025
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Competition from Chinese brands and Beijing’s export restrictions on rare earth elements and semiconductors have squeezed Germany’s flagship sector.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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