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
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
One person is dead after a vehicle crashed into a concrete post supporting an overhead highway sign, causing the sign to collapse and close the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 late Thursday in Johnson County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
So bad was this loss, so awful this series collapse, everything must be on the table.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
His weapon fired, and Pierre collapsed with a gunshot wound to the chest.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
One person is dead after a vehicle crashed into a concrete post supporting an overhead highway sign, causing the sign to collapse and close the southbound lanes of Interstate 35 late Thursday in Johnson County, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
Supporters of a rescue — including labor unions representing Spirit’s pilots and flight attendants — say that a collapse would cost jobs, reduce competition and push fares higher.
—Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
So bad was this loss, so awful this series collapse, everything must be on the table.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
-
The only injuries were likely sustained by guests and banquet staff tumbling over one another to hide under tables.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Red Sox could also call a few other clubs who have tumbled down the standings.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The carrier failed to secure a financial lifeline to continue operating, ending the discount air travel pioneer’s time in the sky, costing some 17,000 jobs and thousands of cheap flights in the market.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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The Kings have failed to advance beyond the first round in seven consecutive postseasons since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, including six first-round exits since team president Luc Robitaille took ultimate charge of hockey operations in 2017.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The software supports batch processing for tasks like converting, compressing, and encrypting multiple files at once.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
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If entry-level roles are compressed too aggressively, firms risk weakening their own talent pipelines.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s a deeper exhaustion here that can’t be ignored.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
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It was determined Megan had suffered from extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction, and low metabolic levels.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The margin for error is so little in the South Coast League that a hit here, an error there, can be the difference between victory and defeat.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Scratch him behind the ears and say Good boy over and over so the horse might tire of hearing it, but Pal never would, crunching his peppermint in sweet victory—even defeat.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Instead, the 2026 draft saw a running back go third, a middle linebacker go seventh, and nine offensive linemen gone by the end of the first round.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a lot that goes (on) behind the scene as a manager.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Under Cook, the company has become less surprising but massively financially successful; some of Apple’s newer products have flopped or underperformed, but far more have become and stayed excellent thanks to years of competent iteration.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Large blooms can cause shoots to flop.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When picking your own, avoid squeezing the berries.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
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That’s way too much time to squeeze into a mere 140 minutes.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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