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
Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The game between Dallas and the Columbus Blue Jackets is postponed by the NHL after Stars forward Rich Peverley collapses on the bench during the first period.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
This side-splitting comedy follows the same well-meaning troupe from The Play That Goes Wrong, whose latest attempt at staging Peter Pan quickly collapses into chaos.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
What Google has built is an environment factory, a system that collapses the months of hand-coding traditionally required to create training simulations into seconds of text prompting.
—Nicole Fraenkel, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
By identifying patterns that precede instability, operators could intervene before plasma confinement collapses.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
When normal matter collapses sufficiently, stars begin to form.
—Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Magnano then fires nine shots toward Jones, Jones immediately collapses to the ground as people in the area could be heard letting out horrific screams and cries.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
And when fear goes away, power collapses.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
James Raia, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
But the secondary was an issue for the Rams throughout the last three seasons, and especially in 2025 as breakdowns led to several regular-season collapses and the NFC championship game loss to Seattle.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
That’s the strange paradox of collapses in sports.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
The city is banning holes deeper than 2 feet after several tragic collapses, including one that killed two Orange County teens.
—James Ward, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
However, history shows that pullbacks from the upper boundary have rarely resulted in outright collapses.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
Previous bear markets followed explicit collapses, like the fall of FTX in November 2022.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Power that relies on repetition collapses when the pattern is named.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
But Biles and Chen bounced back from their collapses.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 15 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bluff collapses, sometimes caused by natural erosion, are not uncommon in north San Diego and along beaches in North County.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
The game between Dallas and the Columbus Blue Jackets is postponed by the NHL after Stars forward Rich Peverley collapses on the bench during the first period.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
This side-splitting comedy follows the same well-meaning troupe from The Play That Goes Wrong, whose latest attempt at staging Peter Pan quickly collapses into chaos.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
What Google has built is an environment factory, a system that collapses the months of hand-coding traditionally required to create training simulations into seconds of text prompting.
—Nicole Fraenkel, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
By identifying patterns that precede instability, operators could intervene before plasma confinement collapses.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
When normal matter collapses sufficiently, stars begin to form.
—Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Magnano then fires nine shots toward Jones, Jones immediately collapses to the ground as people in the area could be heard letting out horrific screams and cries.
—Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
And when fear goes away, power collapses.
—Da Lin, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
Ownership struggles, wars, economic collapses, and the ever-evolving tribulations of the automotive business brought constant change.
—James Raia, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
But the secondary was an issue for the Rams throughout the last three seasons, and especially in 2025 as breakdowns led to several regular-season collapses and the NFC championship game loss to Seattle.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
That’s the strange paradox of collapses in sports.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
The city is banning holes deeper than 2 feet after several tragic collapses, including one that killed two Orange County teens.
—James Ward, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
However, history shows that pullbacks from the upper boundary have rarely resulted in outright collapses.
—Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
Previous bear markets followed explicit collapses, like the fall of FTX in November 2022.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026
Power that relies on repetition collapses when the pattern is named.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
But Biles and Chen bounced back from their collapses.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapses
Verb
-
There's something so timeless and romantic about hair that almost audibly tumbles down one's back.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Regrettably, the series fully tumbles downhill in Episode 3.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Nuggets’ season will go up in smoke if Gordon fails to provide an edge, toughness, defense and slow-heartbeat 3-pointers.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
-
If the software fails, there is nothing for a passenger to grab.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Most have a double-zipper system, with one zipper to close the cube and a second zipper that compresses it to a fraction of its full size.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In operation, the actuator compresses and holds the Ni-Ti tubes, causing the material to heat up.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and Andrew Nembhard had 17 for the Pacers, who have lost eight straight since the All-Star break, including five consecutive blowout defeats.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
North Crowley advances to a state semifinal for the first time since winning the Class 5A state title in 2008, picked up its 16th consecutive win and beat Allen in the playoffs for the first time after three previous defeats.—
Rick Kretzschmar,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The experience stands out, either because of some exceptional food items or an aspect of hospitality that goes above and beyond.—
Henri Hollis,
AJC.com,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Since speed dating only made Taylor more nervous, Jessi goes ahead and hires the dating coach who organized the speed-dating event to give Taylor some one-on-one tutelage.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 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
-
The network does not air the BAFTAs live, but edits and condenses the three-hour show into a two-hour program to be broadcast later.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Without good ventilation, the warm steam cools and condenses on walls, floors, and other surfaces.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Traditional tampons have vertical channels that can lead to fluid leaks and premature failures.—
Luisa Beltran,
Sportico.com,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Some of these signs reference slavery and the successes and failures of the Freedman’s Colony.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapses. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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