as in failing
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1
as in crumpling
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flopping
to be unsuccessful
the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in compressing
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapsing
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 May 2026
Seattle’s economy, far from collapsing, continued to boom.
—Nick Hanauer, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
Despite the later success of SoftBank’s Alibaba investment, its timing coincided with one of the largest market downturns in modern history, led largely by collapsing technology and Internet stocks.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2026
That film generated some moody power before collapsing into a pile of surrealist-horror shards.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2026
In a world where the half-life of skills is collapsing, self-motivation is no longer a personality trait.
—Manu Khetan, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Knees collapsing inward is another big mistake.
—Christa Sgobba, Health, 19 May 2026
The legislation, named after a carriage horse that died several months after collapsing on city streets, was defeated in a committee vote last November.
—Allen Devlin, CBS News, 18 May 2026
At the same time, Sumehra, a struggling model whose career is collapsing because of AI, desperately tries to survive by continuing the same cycle of manipulation and illusion.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 May 2026
Verb
Because of his show’s cancellation, a wormhole opened up backstage at the Ed Sullivan Theater, collapsing the space between his Strike Force Five co-hosts.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 May 2026
Seattle’s economy, far from collapsing, continued to boom.
—Nick Hanauer, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026
Despite the later success of SoftBank’s Alibaba investment, its timing coincided with one of the largest market downturns in modern history, led largely by collapsing technology and Internet stocks.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2026
That film generated some moody power before collapsing into a pile of surrealist-horror shards.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2026
In a world where the half-life of skills is collapsing, self-motivation is no longer a personality trait.
—Manu Khetan, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Knees collapsing inward is another big mistake.
—Christa Sgobba, Health, 19 May 2026
The legislation, named after a carriage horse that died several months after collapsing on city streets, was defeated in a committee vote last November.
—Allen Devlin, CBS News, 18 May 2026
At the same time, Sumehra, a struggling model whose career is collapsing because of AI, desperately tries to survive by continuing the same cycle of manipulation and illusion.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapsing
Adjective
-
The state graded the campus an F for three consecutive years, meaning two more failing grades could trigger an intervention.—
Noah Alcala Bach,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trimming by half will keep the foliage from completely flopping over and retaining too much moisture around the crown.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
9 May 2026
-
Much of the discussion following the game is about flopping and supposed favorable whistles for the Thunder.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Some of our favorite compression packing cubes on the market, these Bagsmart cubes free up to 60 percent extra packing space in your luggage by compressing the excess air out of your clothes.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
-
Imagine taking a huge cloud of gas, and compressing much of that material down into just a few clumps that were much smaller in physical size.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Their laundry room was filled with bright colors and ample folding space.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Most folding bookshelves are made from lightweight materials such as wood, bamboo or metal.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And that’s what sent me sort of tumbling down the rabbit hole.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
16 May 2026
-
The resulting brawl saw the alligator rapidly tumbling at the officers like a log rolling down hill.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Many libraries’ orders went unfulfilled, and all but the largest ones were left struggling to get popular titles to their patrons.—
Adeel Hassan,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Across Oahu’s North Shore, an area famed for its big-wave surfing, the small farms that help supply the island’s food are struggling after back-to-back storms in March brought the state’s worst flooding in two decades.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
While progressive Democrats are pushing to tax billionaires and close corporate loopholes, Republicans are warning that squeezing job creators will severely damage Illinois’ economy.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
Higher fuel costs are leading to inflation and squeezing household budgets, while industries from manufacturing to transport are facing rising operating costs and supply disruptions.—
Julhas Alam,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapsing. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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