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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Five houses collapsed in Buxton, North Carolina, this week and officials at Cape Hatteras National Seashore has reported other homes remain at risk.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Ecological collapse has led to the creation of FedSur, a coalition of South American countries that applies extreme measures to protect nature and counteract social unrest.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
As the party collapses into collective, mob-like madness, despair is unleashed along with paranoia, depravity, violence, and carnage.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Five houses collapsed in Buxton, North Carolina, this week and officials at Cape Hatteras National Seashore has reported other homes remain at risk.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Yamagami allegedly told officials that his mother made massive donations to the church, leading to the family's financial collapse, according to the AP.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Ecological collapse has led to the creation of FedSur, a coalition of South American countries that applies extreme measures to protect nature and counteract social unrest.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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Both the bike and the suspect tumbled down the highway and into the median.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
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Unharmed species can fill the gaps left behind, keeping the ecosystem tumbling along.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, said in a blog post on Wednesday that the currency intervention has failed and predicted a 15%-30% plunge for the peso is highly likely if voters reject Milei again.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Congress failed to pass a budget or temporary funding measure before the federal fiscal year ended on October 1, forcing many federal agencies to cease all non-mandatory operations.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unlike beads, Durafoam evenly absorbs body weight and won’t compress over time.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
30 Oct. 2025
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Still, there’s a long way to go to match bats, which can contract and compress their muscles to listen only to certain echoes and can detect something as small as a human hair from several meters away.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Rochelle would drink a protein shake or eat leftovers if anxiety and exhaustion didn’t kill her hunger.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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Due to the snowy, windy weather, the hikers were rescued in various conditions, with symptoms ranging from exhaustion to hypothermia.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The two permanent managers fired during their debut season over recent years — Benitez in January 2016 and Julen Lopetegui in October 2018 — both suffered big defeats in their first games against Barcelona.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Last month, Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup to stay in power following his 2022 election defeat.—
NPR,
NPR,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Since posting, Watt’s video has gone viral, even catching the attention of the Live Like Maddie Foundation, which thanked her for capturing the magic and shared her clip to help promote next year’s event.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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When the candle burns out, upcycle the elegant blue jar into a seashell or trinket holder to keep the beachy vibes going.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The flowers are the best, even if the leaves are lame and flop over.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
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In one second-quarter stretch, Smart checked in, hit a jumper, flopped to draw an offensive foul on Curry, then hooked his arm around Curry’s shoulder and wrestled the Warriors star to the floor, earning him a flagrant 1 foul and prompting a celebration from Horford.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a Philadelphia food bank, told USA TODAY that food banks are already squeezed by federal funding cuts.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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Then, squeeze your Magic Eraser a few times to activate the foaming bubbles.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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