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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fails
to be unsuccessful
the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapses
Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Trump seems to imagine a hierarchical system dominated by a single capo whose removal collapses the organization—a model rooted in the 1980s.
—Javier Corrales, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Pam collapses her umbrella in the entryway.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
If football collapses, the entire ecosystem goes with it.
—Riley Gaines Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Jan. 2026
And in that moment, the big tower thing Henry has been keeping all the kids in on The Abyss collapses into something that looks a lot like the Mind Flayer but solid, and turns out to be just that, but with more spider-monster vibes.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Methane ice, or gas hydrates, forms and collapses in a constant cycle.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2025
Voids can contribute to sinkholes as the ground collapses into the underlying cavities.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Nov. 2025
The New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Monday after a 2-8 start to the 2025 NFL season and a string of fourth-quarter collapses that left ownership exhausted and fans demanding change.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
The argument against aggression in Ukraine collapses.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Following Chávez’s death, Venezuela entered one of the most dramatic political, economic and humanitarian collapses in modern history.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
How levees fail Levee failures are rarely sudden collapses.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
And if the Upside Down collapses, everything inside gets swept up into that nothingness.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
While the stadium was beloved by fans, age and structure caught up to the Metrodome, which saw multiple roof collapses, including the infamous one in 2010.
—Rashad Alexander
december 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025
If the Gaza cease-fire collapses, clashes between the Houthis and Israel will resume, which could distract the Houthis from other fronts and provide potential miliary opportunities for their Yemeni adversaries.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Migration to the southern border, perhaps the most powerful current in American politics today, is already being driven partly by ecological collapses in Central American farm economies.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
Doing something that is sold as socially progressive, but ends up benefiting big-money donors, and then wrapping it up in so much regulation and taxation that the policy collapses under its own weight—how dysfunctionally California is that?
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Trump seems to imagine a hierarchical system dominated by a single capo whose removal collapses the organization—a model rooted in the 1980s.
—Javier Corrales, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Pam collapses her umbrella in the entryway.
—Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
If football collapses, the entire ecosystem goes with it.
—Riley Gaines Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Jan. 2026
And in that moment, the big tower thing Henry has been keeping all the kids in on The Abyss collapses into something that looks a lot like the Mind Flayer but solid, and turns out to be just that, but with more spider-monster vibes.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Methane ice, or gas hydrates, forms and collapses in a constant cycle.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2025
Voids can contribute to sinkholes as the ground collapses into the underlying cavities.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Nov. 2025
The New York Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll on Monday after a 2-8 start to the 2025 NFL season and a string of fourth-quarter collapses that left ownership exhausted and fans demanding change.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
Both have endured crippling US sanctions that have precipitated economic collapses.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 7 Jan. 2026
The argument against aggression in Ukraine collapses.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Following Chávez’s death, Venezuela entered one of the most dramatic political, economic and humanitarian collapses in modern history.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
How levees fail Levee failures are rarely sudden collapses.
—Farshid Vahedifard, The Conversation, 29 Dec. 2025
And if the Upside Down collapses, everything inside gets swept up into that nothingness.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
While the stadium was beloved by fans, age and structure caught up to the Metrodome, which saw multiple roof collapses, including the infamous one in 2010.
—Rashad Alexander
december 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025
If the Gaza cease-fire collapses, clashes between the Houthis and Israel will resume, which could distract the Houthis from other fronts and provide potential miliary opportunities for their Yemeni adversaries.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Migration to the southern border, perhaps the most powerful current in American politics today, is already being driven partly by ecological collapses in Central American farm economies.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapses
Verb
-
After some careful shaking, the rabbit finally tumbles out of the hose.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
18 Dec. 2025
-
The glass tumbles day and night in the waves against the pebbles and sand.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The state’s latest energy plan fails to recognize and remedy this and portends a bleak, costly energy future, not to mention more pollution and higher health care costs.—
Anshul Gupta,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Holly added that any topic related to her wedding never fails to bring tears to her father's eyes.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Cosmic Pathway compresses 13 billion years of history into a single 360-foot-long ramp.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The new system compresses that capability into a device spanning just a few square centimeters, without sacrificing power, pulse duration, or bandwidth.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Liverpool have taken positive steps forward in their past two games, winning both following a run of six defeats in seven.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The Nighthawks were 3-17 across their first two seasons in Class 3A, with the majority of their defeats coming via running clock.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This first three-dimensional cross-sectional image goes 11 miles) below the crater and shows what appear to be various pools of magma at different depths, with rock or other material between them and more numerous toward the southeast of the crater.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The handy bag goes with just about any outfit and can be dressed down for dog walks or dressed up for dinner out on the town.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately for shareholders, the stock grants come with a feature similar to equity options that somewhat reduces Musk’s payday, especially in a case like the one above where the plan flops.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Nov. 2025
-
Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Directed by Shōta Goshozono, the film condenses the anime’s Shibuya Incident arc as Yuji Itadori and his allies face a coordinated curse attack on Halloween.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
22 Dec. 2025
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As air flows over cold evaporator coils in the unit, the moisture condenses into water droplets that are collected in a compartment to be emptied or drained later.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Thinking globally and acting locally means electing people of vision, not people who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag without a lobbyist lighting their way under the table, or down the wrong path where for-profit companies rule and teachers are scapegoated for society's failures.—
SHELLEY SMITH SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Despite multiple ongoing investigations, survivors say officials still lack answers about why response failures disproportionately affected west Altadena.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapses. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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