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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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

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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
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
  • The three-stage rocket failed during its debut mission in October 2021 but is now riding a streak of four straight successes.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The financial troubles are especially concerning because the Los Angeles Unified School District has failed to meet past budget reduction targets, the report concluded, and the stakes have become higher, with solutions more painful to carry out.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 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
  • But this is an album that’s apparently about the artist’s double life, and the questions that are bound to be at the forefront of any curious listener’s mind go unaddressed.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Her bravery reverberates across the country and the crimes against her will not go unpunished.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 7 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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