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
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
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Recent Examples of collapse
Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.
—CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
As that tension escalates, battles — between good and evil, fantasy and reality, collapse and triumph — ensue.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
The soil is collapsing, leaving something resembling large puddles among the freshwater marshes.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.
—CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
The protests started in the heart of the capital over the collapse of Iran's currency and soaring prices.
—Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
As that tension escalates, battles — between good and evil, fantasy and reality, collapse and triumph — ensue.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
-
The footage shows Kim tumbling hard onto the snow and sliding across the halfpipe.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Seagate, fresh off a 14% jump, tumbled about 8% in Wednesday’s trading.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If the settlement failed to cover the amount owed, some funders went after the women for the remainder.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Owner Mark Davis has failed for years to find answers, and this time around, Tom Brady appears to be taking control of the rebuild.—
J.J. Bailey,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The ability of the sponge to compress means that over time the rug will weigh down the edges and prevent the rug from looking like it’s raised up onto a surface.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
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Las Vegas has compressed a short stretch of the Strip into a luxury gauntlet that’ll wreck your step count and your credit limit in the same afternoon.—
Paul Jebara,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are no speakers in the songs of MJ Lenderman other than MJ Lenderman, whose diffidence and exhaustion are in all-too-perfect lockstep with the psychic frustrations of his listeners.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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This round of protests feels different from prior ones because of a sense of frustration and exhaustion among people in Iran, said Dina Esfandiary, Middle East lead for Bloomberg Economics.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Quick was hardly to blame for New York's eighth defeat in nine games, with mistakes by teammates in front of him putting the veteran goaltender in all sorts of difficult positions.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
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The debate follows the November defeat of Proposition Q, a ballot measure that would have increased Austin’s property tax rate by 20% to fund public safety and infrastructure projects.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Most of them go deep into the memory vault of childhood, recalling fishing trips and family gatherings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Nordstrom Lucky Brand Fair Isle Shawl-Collar Cardigan Both Lopez’s and Hudson’s sweaters appear to be from Polo Ralph Lauren (the former’s looks like this one that's no longer available, while the latter’s resembles this one that goes for $798).—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The free-agent signing of Nate Davis flopped.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Early experiments, like the Humane AI pin, have flopped due to high prices and poor performance.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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