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
Relevance
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
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
As the party collapses into collective, mob-like madness, despair is unleashed along with paranoia, depravity, violence, and carnage.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Cut that lifeline and our leadership collapses.
—Sen. Todd Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The notion that the catastrophe stems from inadequate defense spending collapses the moment the interceptors fail.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
When the ceiling collapses in her Montauk apartment, she’s forced to move to a bleak low-rent motel.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Ares instead collapses the two, transporting technology from the other universe—like the light cycle, a futuristic motorcycle that’s become a franchise icon—onto real-world streets.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The film follows the turbulent journey of Evi-Oghene Donalds (Evi), a gifted but arrogant music star whose world collapses after her record label cuts ties without compensation.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
When leaders can abuse the justice system to target critics and investigators, the rule of law collapses.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Credit has become a hot topic in the market lately due to the notable collapses of auto parts manufacturer First Brands Group and the subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
By contrast, the 93-69 Dodgers stumbled at times during the regular season, including several late-game collapses by a shaky bullpen and a humbling September sweep by the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 20 Oct. 2025
And while the collapses of Tricolor and First Brands were widely seen as idiosyncratic, Roe’s team viewed them as potential warning signs of broader strain, particularly among lower-income borrowers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Climate models that predict collapses are also less accurate when forecasting interactions between multiple tipping points.
—Alexandra A Phillips, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
This medium-sized carrier for cats and small dogs up to 20 pounds collapses into itself, reducing its 18-inch length to just under 3 inches.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
Almost as suddenly as the whirlwind appears, the entire platform collapses in a fury of flames and chaos.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
The greatest dangers stem not from the shaking itself but from secondary effects such as building collapses, landslides, and tsunamis.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
The project blends survivalist horror with psychological thriller elements, examining how far people will go to survive when society collapses.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
As the party collapses into collective, mob-like madness, despair is unleashed along with paranoia, depravity, violence, and carnage.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Cut that lifeline and our leadership collapses.
—Sen. Todd Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The notion that the catastrophe stems from inadequate defense spending collapses the moment the interceptors fail.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
When the ceiling collapses in her Montauk apartment, she’s forced to move to a bleak low-rent motel.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Ares instead collapses the two, transporting technology from the other universe—like the light cycle, a futuristic motorcycle that’s become a franchise icon—onto real-world streets.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
The film follows the turbulent journey of Evi-Oghene Donalds (Evi), a gifted but arrogant music star whose world collapses after her record label cuts ties without compensation.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
When leaders can abuse the justice system to target critics and investigators, the rule of law collapses.
—Cassandra Burke Robertson, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
The memories of those late-game collapses crept in when the Sabres’ 4-2 lead became 4-3 early in the third period.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Credit has become a hot topic in the market lately due to the notable collapses of auto parts manufacturer First Brands Group and the subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
By contrast, the 93-69 Dodgers stumbled at times during the regular season, including several late-game collapses by a shaky bullpen and a humbling September sweep by the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 20 Oct. 2025
And while the collapses of Tricolor and First Brands were widely seen as idiosyncratic, Roe’s team viewed them as potential warning signs of broader strain, particularly among lower-income borrowers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Climate models that predict collapses are also less accurate when forecasting interactions between multiple tipping points.
—Alexandra A Phillips, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
This medium-sized carrier for cats and small dogs up to 20 pounds collapses into itself, reducing its 18-inch length to just under 3 inches.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
Almost as suddenly as the whirlwind appears, the entire platform collapses in a fury of flames and chaos.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
The greatest dangers stem not from the shaking itself but from secondary effects such as building collapses, landslides, and tsunamis.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapses
Verb
-
Workers are startled when a jar tumbles out of a dusty box and rolls onto the ground.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Ralphy leaps up in shock, tumbles off the sofa, and sprints toward his owner, who is filming nearby.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Advertisement As the world fails to meet its 2025 Paris Agreement target, climate leaders from across industries are working overtime to make up for the lack of global governmental action.—
Erin McMullen,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
For this new study in particular, the researchers focused on the 5FU, which often both fails to reach cancer cells efficiently and attacks healthy tissue—causing side effects like nausea, fatigue and, in rare cases, even heart failure.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The compact vacuum even blows up air mattresses and compresses vacuum storage bags.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
-
And the extreme pressure and friction of the move compresses the air molecules in front of Starship, creating a glowing plasma that is the signature of the stretch of flight known as reentry.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 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
-
And Biltmore Estate goes above and beyond on the festive front.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The first shift after all the previous staff shakeups goes surprisingly well.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Amina blows her mom a kiss and then flops down in her crib, pretending to be asleep.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
At one point, Alex comes over to recheck his map and, seeing Rizo attempt to analyze his work, flops over on the puzzle, causing Rizo to pause.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The vapor then condenses into liquid water inside a vacuum condenser.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Poetry condenses our chaotic emotions into words, giving form to formlessness.—
K.J.S. “Sunny” Anand,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Employers can create weekly forums where employees can share both AI successes and failures without judgment, then reallocate budgets away from underperforming AI experiments to pilots that are showing success.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
-
One form Asks whether the tree appears To exhibit a history of failures.—
MaKshya Tolbert,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapses. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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