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
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
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
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
The film opens with Lorenz Hart collapsing and then with what’s supposed to sound like an archival radio obituary from 1943.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Texas was undone by a ninth-inning collapse in a 9-8 loss to Ole Miss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday night.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
That summer, according to the documents, Nikolic’s own working relationship with Gates began to collapse.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
The film opens with Lorenz Hart collapsing and then with what’s supposed to sound like an archival radio obituary from 1943.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Noun
News of American Legion building collapse prompted hundreds of people to post offers of help on social media.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Texas was undone by a ninth-inning collapse in a 9-8 loss to Ole Miss at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday night.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
-
The Jakarta Composite Index tumbled more than 5%, putting the stock benchmark on track to enter a bear market.—
Prima Wirayani,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Markets reacted swiftly, with Dow futures tumbling 900 points.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some candidates who submitted petitions by the March 4 deadline failed to qualify because some of their signatures were deemed invalid.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Republicans, who control half of the Minnesota House, pointed out that DHS failed to detect fraud for years.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But moments like this often compress complexity into a single narrative.—
Milan Shetti,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Because tight coils shrink and compress, density changes may be harder to notice at first.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Long work hours, overnight shifts, sleep disorders, and extended periods of driving can all contribute to exhaustion.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Holding the mic light in his hand, barely touching it, like a delicate flower, trying to hide the exhaustion in his voice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tuesday’s 83-79 overtime loss to Washington in the Big Ten tournament, the Trojans’ eighth straight defeat, brought to a close what USC coach Eric Musselman called the toughest stretch of his coaching career.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Porro and Van de Ven appeared to clash with the away fans following January’s defeat by Bournemouth.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But of course, a Democratic lawmaker could still go rogue and force a Gonzales expulsion vote on their own.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Collin Sexton came of the bench to score 28 points for the Bulls (26-38), who have lost 16 of 19 after going 23-22 to start the season.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both teams … the Heat and the Wizards … conspired with their flopping and intentional fouling to get him to 83.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Still, the series might have flopped were its actors not so likable.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gasoline prices have raced closer to $4 per gallon during the war, squeezing many household budgets that are already under pressure.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Research budgets were gutted, marketing hollowed out, suppliers squeezed.—
Paul Polman,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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