collapse 1 of 2

verb

kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
Definition of collapsenext
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

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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

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collapse

2 of 2

noun

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of collapse
Verb
Such processes could create overdensities—regions so dense that spacetime collapsed in on itself, forming PBHs of a range of masses. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026 The 21-year-old Mayich collapsed during a workout on the first day the NCAA allows official activities. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
Over a thousand people are now camped in Madrid’s most central square in a scale not seen since 2011, in the aftermath of the financial collapse. — Erika Page, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026 This multiversal collapse not only erodes the walls dividing fictions but also reconfigures the interface between fiction and reality. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
  1. tumble
  2. fail
  3. compress
  4. exhaustion
  5. defeat
  6. go
  7. flop
  8. squeeze
Verb
  • Global oil inventories have tumbled by around 2 billion barrels during the course of the Iran war, according to JPMorgan, but the market has held out.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Cliffs teeter at 1,640 feet, before tumbling down in a flurry of vineyards and walking trails to the rushing rivers and gorges of Sil and Miño.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of tumble
Verb
  • Asif said the alliance reflected a belief among its members that existing security arrangements had failed to protect Gulf countries as the conflict involving Iran spread across the region.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The government, unable and unwilling to check their most voracious citizens and appetites, failed to tame the frontier.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of fail
Verb
  • The biggest drag on the index was independent power producers (like Constellation, NRG, and Vistra), whose earnings multiples have compressed anywhere from 2 to 8 turns from their recent peaks.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In another, an agent apparently compressed data into a roughly 35 KB file and uploaded it through ntfy, but investigators could not recover the file to determine its contents.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of compress
Noun
  • It is better understood as a symptom of political exhaustion and vulnerability following years of division, economic hardship, and war.
    — Michael Robbins, Foreign Affairs, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Touring’s heated and ventilated leather seats and lumbar support helped keep exhaustion at bay.
    — Robert Duffer, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of exhaustion
Noun
  • Barring a surprise, the progressive coalition of Sánchez will suffer a costly legislative defeat that will likely fan the flames of the protests.
    — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • And these are the people Brown is counting on to send him back to Washington after suffering defeat at the polls two years ago.
    — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • As previously reported, the Laneway shows in Perth and Adelaide have been scaled back and will go ahead as sideshows.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Many of those conversations went viral or became news in their own right.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of go
Verb
  • If the Dodgers flop this October, the owners are not going to suddenly back off a salary cap.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • While the warehouse project has flopped, records show that in the last few months ICE has quietly expanded its detention system in other ways.
    — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of flop
Verb
  • But the highlight of the spa is the infinity-edge rock pool, squeezed into a canyon between towering rock walls, with views out over the valley beyond.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • It’s being squeezed by all sorts of forces, commercial forces, corporate forces, political forces.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze

Browse Nearby Words

collages
collapse
collapsed
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Cite this Entry

“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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