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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fail
to be unsuccessful
the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence
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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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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapse
Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
That night, Winters collapsed in his bathroom.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
In addition to political persecution, returning Venezuelans would reenter a country teetering on collapse—maligned by hyperinflation, soaring unemployment, rampant crime, frequent power outages, water shortages and chronic scarcities of food and medicine.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
East Chicago city cameras appear to show the two men in an argument before Ramirez collapses.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
That night, Winters collapsed in his bathroom.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
When a mother tree is felled, the survival rate of many of its seedlings may be drastically reduced, a process not unlike the reciprocal feedback loop of Yggdrasill, whose deterioration in response to discord in the nine realms spells cosmic collapse.
—Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
In addition to political persecution, returning Venezuelans would reenter a country teetering on collapse—maligned by hyperinflation, soaring unemployment, rampant crime, frequent power outages, water shortages and chronic scarcities of food and medicine.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon, Portugal’s coastal capital, is built across seven mighty hills that tumble toward the Tagus River.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Constellation Brands shares tumbled more than 6% after the Modelo and Corona parent company cut its outlook for the fiscal year.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 1995, valuations were huge, startups were burning cash, and most experiments failed.—
Mark Minevich,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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But if a provider offers biometric processing services — or fails to safeguard the data in its possession — plaintiffs could test the boundaries of liability.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As competition intensifies and timelines compress, fashion players can no longer rely on legacy ways of working.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
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Circana’s Liquid Mix compresses that cycle to minutes, vastly improving how brands can respond to market signals.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Making critical decisions from exhaustion, not vision.—
Yermys Pena,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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My Lebanese friends and business associates increasingly speak of exhaustion with conflict, hunger for economic progress, and today’s unprecedented opportunities.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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A day later, Fenerbahce dismissed Jose Mourinho, in part due to the defeat to Benfica in the Champions League play-offs.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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With Fritz's defeat, there are no American men left in the tournament.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Don't go into a basement, or any room, if water covers the electrical outlets or if cords are submerged.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Prosecutors said the 22-year-old man did not go with him to the hospital.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Jeanine Pirro spread false election claims as Fox News host, but flopped under oath.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
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Some other very high selections flopped.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Industry leaders such as Denmark’s Orsted, Siemens Gamesa, and General Electric have been squeezed by rising component prices, high interest rates, and wavering government support.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
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At the same time, corporations and government agencies have enforced return-to-office mandates that disproportionately squeeze caregivers.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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