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
MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Dorzon had been shot 11 times and his girlfriend had also been hit, collapsing on the front lawn.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
The quietly collapsing afternoons of childhood.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Outfitted with a messy wig and white clothes, the robot remains motionless before suddenly collapsing to all fours and crawling, evoking scenes straight out of The Ring or The Exorcist.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitching a night after starting Game 6, somehow managed to record the most outs and picked up the win, collapsing into Smith’s arms once the final two outs were recorded on a double play started by Mookie Betts.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
We’re used to seeing Survivor players doubling over or collapsing after an exhausting challenge in intense heat.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
But those assumptions are collapsing under the weight of new realities.
—Klaus Schwab, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Some of the houses collapsing now once sat much further back on the beach.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Reservoirs supplying Tehran and other urban centers have dropped to critically low levels, while agricultural production in the nation’s most fertile regions is collapsing, threatening food security and rural livelihoods.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Dorzon had been shot 11 times and his girlfriend had also been hit, collapsing on the front lawn.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
The quietly collapsing afternoons of childhood.
—James Wood, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Outfitted with a messy wig and white clothes, the robot remains motionless before suddenly collapsing to all fours and crawling, evoking scenes straight out of The Ring or The Exorcist.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitching a night after starting Game 6, somehow managed to record the most outs and picked up the win, collapsing into Smith’s arms once the final two outs were recorded on a double play started by Mookie Betts.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
We’re used to seeing Survivor players doubling over or collapsing after an exhausting challenge in intense heat.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
But those assumptions are collapsing under the weight of new realities.
—Klaus Schwab, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Some of the houses collapsing now once sat much further back on the beach.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapsing
Verb
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The sixth inning also featured a frightening moment when Cleveland’s David Fry, squaring around to bunt, took a 99 mph fastball from Skubal off his face, crumpling to the dirt as Skubal reacted with distress.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Rams 23, 49ers 20 Lock of the Week Much was made this week about the Bills failing to acquire a wide receiver at the trade deadline and whether that handicaps their Super Bowl chances.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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There was excessive growth of microtubules that wasn’t caused by an increase in gene activity, but likely due to the cells failing to clear away old or misfolded proteins.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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According to the team, the process mimics the geological conditions that form fossil fuels, compressing wet biomass at high temperatures and pressures to produce biocrude.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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The mass on the ovary can also push onto the urinary system, compressing your bladder and creating a feeling of having to urinate constantly.—
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira,
Flow Space,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With its shorter, non-folding collar, a mock neck gives you that same cozy feel as a turtleneck — without bunching or folding over.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
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Samsung’s tri-folding phone could be expensive and niche like its Galaxy Z Fold, which only recently began gaining traction.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His true self comes tumbling out in between every lie, and that’s because Macfadyen makes sure of it.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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Each match consists of three rounds of competition, with rounds one and two featuring cheerleading skills including stunts, basket tosses, and tumbling in head-to-head, bracket-style rounds.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Van Gogh, now visually fitting in with his family, then scampered about his habitat with his ears flopping along with him.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Bagail 6-piece Compression Packing Cube Set is just $19 and a game-changer for squeezing extra outfits into a carry-on.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
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To check for ripeness, start by squeezing the fruit—ripe mangos should give slightly under pressure without feeling overly soft or mushy.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The company count included insiders like Musk, who held around a 15% stake in Tesla going into the proxy and was allowed to vote his shares.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
11 Nov. 2025
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But going into markets relying solely on territory pre-sales alone — once the norm at AFM — is today a rarity, with most packages having some financing already in place to mitigate risk — and jitters.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapsing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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