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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapsing
ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
What becomes cheap or free Khosla’s deflationary vision is built on a series of sectors collapsing in cost.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
With the Royals negotiations collapsing with Kansas, the state may be able to get away with a tougher negotiating position.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Then, as things dragged on, Goldberg could be seen recoiling and wincing in her chair — and, at one point, fully collapsing backward in protest.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Structural engineers determined Sunday morning that the building was not in imminent danger of collapsing, but about 130 residents will remain displaced while repairs to parts of the building are made, according to a press release from the city of Santa Clara.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
So if there were a clear dividing line between more massive objects formed by collapsing molecular clouds and less massive objects formed by accretion, researchers like Gilbert and his colleagues would expect to see smaller sub-brown dwarfs forming only in metal-rich star systems.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Instigated by the dictatorship invading territories long ago ceded to the English, the war was the new government’s futile attempt to restore a nationalist fantasy of Argentina’s borders (and distract from the country’s collapsing economy).
—Daniel R. Quiles, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
The largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran, is close to collapsing.
—NBC news, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
A number of buildings were seen collapsing in this wave of strikes on Friday as the death toll continues to rise, an ABC News team in Lebanon observed.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
What becomes cheap or free Khosla’s deflationary vision is built on a series of sectors collapsing in cost.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
With the Royals negotiations collapsing with Kansas, the state may be able to get away with a tougher negotiating position.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Then, as things dragged on, Goldberg could be seen recoiling and wincing in her chair — and, at one point, fully collapsing backward in protest.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Structural engineers determined Sunday morning that the building was not in imminent danger of collapsing, but about 130 residents will remain displaced while repairs to parts of the building are made, according to a press release from the city of Santa Clara.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
So if there were a clear dividing line between more massive objects formed by collapsing molecular clouds and less massive objects formed by accretion, researchers like Gilbert and his colleagues would expect to see smaller sub-brown dwarfs forming only in metal-rich star systems.
—Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Instigated by the dictatorship invading territories long ago ceded to the English, the war was the new government’s futile attempt to restore a nationalist fantasy of Argentina’s borders (and distract from the country’s collapsing economy).
—Daniel R. Quiles, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
The largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran, is close to collapsing.
—NBC news, 1 Mar. 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
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The question is whether the world can take that long of a shock without crumpling beneath the weight of rising inflation and staggering growth.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
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The oar swung violently in its oarlock, knocking him into the river and crumpling the raft’s aluminum frame.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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So, is California’s unemployment market slogging along or flopping into a quagmire of job cuts?—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
4 Mar. 2026
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There was indeed something charming about these explosive Muppet looks, but is the woman who can afford Bottega Veneta really flopping around Art Basel, dinner parties and business meetings in such enormous clothes?—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Compression packing cubes usually end up slightly domed in the center after compressing them.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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That’s partly because heat pumps work by extracting heat from outdoor air, compressing it and piping it indoors, a thermal magic trick that’s harder to perform in places with subzero winters.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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To our eye, the Marco Polo offers a better, higher-spec base van, but the Jules Verne boasts the better camper layout, especially for a family with kids that can fit comfortably on the short folding bed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Feb. 2026
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The spatial geomagnetic sensing is achieved with a folding, extendable robotic arm that carries the Hidonix Acquisition Module, which includes the HEC (Hidonix Embedded Computer from Nvidia) that runs proprietary firmware designed for precise geomagnetic signal acquisition.—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Just one week ago, a report hypothesizing on how AI could disrupt the economy sent the Dow tumbling by more than 800 points.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
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Stock futures are tumbling this morning.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the aftermath of the 2007-09 Great Recession, Warsh — then a Fed governor — objected to some of the central bank’s efforts to help the struggling economy by pushing down rates even though unemployment exceeded 9%.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, the United Nations wrote on X that major cities in Afghanistan were reportedly bombed by the Pakistani military on Friday, marking a new escalation and raising fears for civilians already struggling under the harsh rule of the Taliban authorities.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other business leaders have trialed, but then dialed back, four-day work week experiments after seeing the strain of squeezing five days of work into four.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The business has been brutal for the last couple of years — the pandemic, the strikes, the profit squeezing that led to a bunch of reduced production.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapsing. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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