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
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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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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
John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
In recent days, negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic collapsed after the company pushed for strict limits on domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
The overall project was initially authorized in 2008 but was stalled by a building moratorium in the Natomas Basin due to flooding concerns, as well as the recession and collapse of Sacramento’s new-home market.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
Barzani’s movement collapsed within weeks, and Iraqi forces launched reprisals that displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
In recent days, negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic collapsed after the company pushed for strict limits on domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Western Allied powers divided up Ottoman lands and included a proposal for a Kurdish state.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
The overall project was initially authorized in 2008 but was stalled by a building moratorium in the Natomas Basin due to flooding concerns, as well as the recession and collapse of Sacramento’s new-home market.
—Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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Just one week ago, a report hypothesizing on how AI could disrupt the economy sent the Dow tumbling by more than 800 points.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
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Back then, the American economy surged as businesses became more productive, unemployment tumbled and inflation remained in check.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Ducks improved to 8-0 in shootouts this season despite going just two for six against Montreal, with even Mason McTavish failing to score for the first time in six tries this season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Doctors had little to offer Reid beyond steroids, which reduce inflammation but can cause bone fractures and diabetes, and a select few immunosuppressant drugs, which expose patients to infections and often fail to halt the disease’s progression.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This enables compressed heat to be stored and reused throughout the process without fossil fuel combustion, delivering significant low‑carbon benefits, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
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Inevitably, however, the result feels like the character evolutions, machinations, and plot pivots of an entire series of the show compressed desperately into 112 minutes.—
Miriam Balanescu,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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My own experience with night pests was at a time of utter exhaustion— too much work undertaken, interlocking circumstances that made the work twice as arduous, illness within and around— the old story of troubles never coming singly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
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Prolonged war and psychological exhaustion are already creating strain even among those united in their desire for regime change.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For Jorgen Strand Larsen, that is somewhat true, having played well in most of his six games, including scoring twice on his home debut in the 3-2 defeat by Burnley last month.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The Wizards only lost one game to a Colorado Class 5A opponent all year, a 47-45 defeat to Air Academy back in December.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Watching Jalen Brunson flopping the other night and watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander begging for calls like a Premier League player was like watching a championship fight.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Jokic either fell or flopped — depending on who tells it — over the top of George four minutes into the game when the burgeoning Utah star tried the maneuver.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This technical pivot would allow nations to squeeze every profitable drop from their own land with surgical precision, bypassing the geopolitical chaos of distant chokepoints and securing a future defined by Decentralized Techno-Resource Sovereignty.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
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When residents are this squeezed, City Hall’s predictable response has been to charge us more.—
Bradley Schnell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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