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
John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
In recent days, negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic collapsed after the company pushed for strict limits on domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
The overall project was initially authorized in 2008 but was stalled by a building moratorium in the Natomas Basin due to flooding concerns, as well as the recession and collapse of Sacramento’s new-home market.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
Barzani’s movement collapsed within weeks, and Iraqi forces launched reprisals that displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
In recent days, negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic collapsed after the company pushed for strict limits on domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Western Allied powers divided up Ottoman lands and included a proposal for a Kurdish state.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
The overall project was initially authorized in 2008 but was stalled by a building moratorium in the Natomas Basin due to flooding concerns, as well as the recession and collapse of Sacramento’s new-home market.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
-
The Jakarta Composite Index tumbled more than 5%, putting the stock benchmark on track to enter a bear market.—
Prima Wirayani,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Markets reacted swiftly, with Dow futures tumbling 900 points.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Ducks improved to 8-0 in shootouts this season despite going just two for six against Montreal, with even Mason McTavish failing to score for the first time in six tries this season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Doctors had little to offer Reid beyond steroids, which reduce inflammation but can cause bone fractures and diabetes, and a select few immunosuppressant drugs, which expose patients to infections and often fail to halt the disease’s progression.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This enables compressed heat to be stored and reused throughout the process without fossil fuel combustion, delivering significant low‑carbon benefits, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
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Inevitably, however, the result feels like the character evolutions, machinations, and plot pivots of an entire series of the show compressed desperately into 112 minutes.—
Miriam Balanescu,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Long work hours, overnight shifts, sleep disorders, and extended periods of driving can all contribute to exhaustion.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Holding the mic light in his hand, barely touching it, like a delicate flower, trying to hide the exhaustion in his voice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tuesday’s 83-79 overtime loss to Washington in the Big Ten tournament, the Trojans’ eighth straight defeat, brought to a close what USC coach Eric Musselman called the toughest stretch of his coaching career.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Porro and Van de Ven appeared to clash with the away fans following January’s defeat by Bournemouth.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But of course, a Democratic lawmaker could still go rogue and force a Gonzales expulsion vote on their own.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Collin Sexton came of the bench to score 28 points for the Bulls (26-38), who have lost 16 of 19 after going 23-22 to start the season.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Watching Jalen Brunson flopping the other night and watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander begging for calls like a Premier League player was like watching a championship fight.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Jokic either fell or flopped — depending on who tells it — over the top of George four minutes into the game when the burgeoning Utah star tried the maneuver.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This technical pivot would allow nations to squeeze every profitable drop from their own land with surgical precision, bypassing the geopolitical chaos of distant chokepoints and securing a future defined by Decentralized Techno-Resource Sovereignty.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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When residents are this squeezed, City Hall’s predictable response has been to charge us more.—
Bradley Schnell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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