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
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
Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
The beach patrol headquarters is in danger of collapsing and will be demolished this weekend.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
TheWeek, 27 Mar. 2026
The United Nations warns of collapse.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
Any strong fluctuation in the density of the material making up the universe at that point could create a small overdense region, a small pocket of extra matter, which could then collapse to form what’s called a primordial black hole (or PBH).
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
The beach patrol headquarters is in danger of collapsing and will be demolished this weekend.
—Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
Why did Gerry Adams’ trial collapse?
—TheWeek, 27 Mar. 2026
The United Nations warns of collapse.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
-
Crude futures tumbled , and gold prices cut losses.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The video shows the plane colliding with the truck, going over the vehicle, which tumbles beneath the jet.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The lawsuit alleged that Bank of America failed to file suspicious activity reports, known as SARs, until after Epstein's death in 2019.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
During the next two and a half years, Beckham and various investors tried, and failed, to land a stadium deal.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Even if revelations of this nature did have an impact on voter preferences, a high percentage of early ballots cast could work to compress the window for late-breaking developments to concurrently shift outcomes, if at all.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Batch processing tools handle multiple files at once, including converting, compressing, or encrypting PDFs.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
To avoid exhaustion or resentment, protect that space to recharge.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Heat leads to dehydration, exhaustion and overall inhospitable conditions.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This was a better defensive effort for the Stars than their sloppy defeat Tuesday night at home against New Jersey.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Mental mistakes have led to losses, such as SKC’s most recent 4-1 defeat to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Could a straighter road make cars go faster?—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
To meet his growing costs, Meraj had increased the price of a cup of tea from ten rupees to fifteen, a fifty-per-cent rise (in New York terms, like a cup of drip coffee going from just shy of four dollars to nearly six overnight).—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But that effort has flopped, because the SAVE America Act doesn't have the votes to pass in the Senate.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Girlfriend scales the diaristic, bric-a-brac charm of Janky Star into a high-drama pop monument to trying, flopping, and trying even harder next time.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
House rebels view the attempt to squeeze the SAVE America Act into reconciliation, a restrictive budget process that requires all language to have a direct fiscal impact, as capitulation and want to see the entire bill, including its mandates on voter ID and proof of citizenship, signed into law.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Priced at just £600, the 13-inch Neo squeezes many of the MacBook Air’s best features into a device that is far more affordable.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
