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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapse
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Before talks collapsed, Canadian officials said Prime Minister Mark Carney was pursuing closer ties with China and may meet with President Xi Jinping at next week’s APEC summit.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
What’s happening to the site Since that time, the city issued a permit for a contractor to install roof support structures, known as shoring, to minimize the risk of the roof’s collapse.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
At least one person is dead after a crane collapsed Friday at a commercial site on a river just north of Boston.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Before talks collapsed, Canadian officials said Prime Minister Mark Carney was pursuing closer ties with China and may meet with President Xi Jinping at next week’s APEC summit.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
Other tipping points include the collapse of ice sheets and rapid shifts to ocean currents.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
What’s happening to the site Since that time, the city issued a permit for a contractor to install roof support structures, known as shoring, to minimize the risk of the roof’s collapse.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 22 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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The compact vacuum even blows up air mattresses and compresses vacuum storage bags.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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Even when compressed up to 20 times, the accuracy is still about 60%.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As my exhaustion broke the spell of curiosity, the narrative appealed to me.—
Jim Beaugez,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
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Is that your way of expressing the anger and exhaustion that so many people feel in the country right now?—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The play focuses on the assassination of the title character by a conspiracy headed by Brutus and Cassius and the defeat of the conspirators in battle by Caesar’s successors, the triumvirate of Marc Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
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Six of their big chances came against struggling Forest, with Newcastle converting just one of those, while four more came in the wild 3-2 defeat against Liverpool.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 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 30 Oct. 2025.
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