Synonyms of collapses

collapses 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of collapse

1

as in tumbles

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

• tumbles
• goes
• crumples
• dies
• melts
• crumbles
• shatters
• gives
• implodes
• yields
• buckles
• crashes
• goes out
• fails
• breaks
• gives way
• founders
• flattens
• bursts
• pops
• smashes
• snaps
• cracks
• splits
• caves (in)
• deflates
• stalls
• breaks down
• melts down
• gives out
• splinters
• conks (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rises
• swells
• inflates

2

as in fails

to be unsuccessful

the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fails
• flops
• folds
• misses
• struggles
• bombs
• flunks
• tanks
• falls short
• strikes out
• falls flat
• declines
• comes to grief
• flames out
• lays an egg
• comes up empty
• crashes
• founders
• craters
• crumbles
• comes a cropper
• washes out
• slumps
• dies on the vine
• slips
• flounders
• falls on one's face
• wanes
• implodes
• skids
• miscarries
• sinks
• misfires
• goes under
• self-destructs

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• goes
• succeeds
• delivers
• works out
• comes off
• clicks
• goes over
• thrives
• flourishes
• prevails
• cooks
• wins
• pans out
• prospers
• triumphs

3

as in compresses

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

• compresses
• condenses
• squeezes
• consolidates
• constricts
• packs
• narrows (down)
• crams
• simplifies
• compacts
• contracts
• capsules
• constringes
• telescopes
• capsulizes
• shortens
• shrinks
• decreases
• curtails
• downsizes
• abbreviates
• jams
• boils down
• abridges
• diminishes
• jam-packs
• crowds
• streamlines
• concentrates
• lessens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expands
• opens
• decompresses
• dissipates
• disperses
• dilates
• scatters
• outstretches
• inflates
• swells
• outspreads
• distends

collapses

2 of 2

noun

plural of collapse

as in defeats

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

• defeats
• failures
• crashes
• fizzles
• setbacks
• croppers
• nonsuccesses
• nonachievements
• futilities
• deficiencies
• disappointments
• inadequacies
• insufficiencies
• ineffectualities
• inefficacies
• letdowns

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• achievements
• successes
• accomplishments
• victories
• wins

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of collapses

Verb

Emmanuel Marre | Belgium | 155 min Cannes Best Screenplay winner A MAN OF HIS TIME stars ANATOMY OF A FALL’s Swann Arlaud as a Vichy civil servant whose faith in government collapses amid collaboration, bureaucracy, and moral surrender. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026

Single-pressing the button collapses the view to show only the arrow and distance to the next turn, while double-pressing the button expands the view to show a map with the full route across the bottom half of the display. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

In general, when a submarine caldera collapses, the sinking seafloor pulls the seawater above it along with it. — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

At the same 5-GHz frequency, a sound wave's wavelength collapses from centimeters, as is the case with light, to a couple of micrometers, roughly four orders of magnitude smaller. — New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026

Diaz’s main character sees the crash of 1929 coming and shorts the entire stock market, so that, when the economy collapses, his private fortune soars. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

More record highs are possible on Friday and through the weekend before the heat dome collapses early next week. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

His body collapses in on itself on the fainting couch in the sitting room. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

In this vast expanse of gas and dust, cold molecular hydrogen gas collapses to create new stars. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Noun

September was a struggle with multiple bullpen collapses and failures from the starting lineup. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Pasticceria Italia, a popular Italian bakery, shut down last winter after suffering two ceiling collapses from water leaks in two winters followed by vandalism damage. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026

What to do in an earthquake Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause structural collapses and landslides. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026

But as the cost of producing a unit of intelligence collapses, the amount businesses consume is exploding. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026

Deadly mine collapses in Sudan, a gold producing country, aren’t uncommon where safety standards aren’t widely applied. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

One crew handled 213 calls for service, including the house explosion that claimed the life of Leona Rice, as well as numerous structural collapses. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

Wilson also traces notable instances of building fiascos around New York, like awning collapses and the troubled history of 432 Park, the supertall on Billionaire’s Row. — Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026

Reacher stumbles out into the street and collapses, sheets of rain washing the blood from his mighty frame. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026