as in failing
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Dissimilar Words
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
Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
At the same time, a currency collapsing under international sanctions, water shortages and recurring power outages have sharpened a sense of crisis across the country.
—Roxana Saberi, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The contract that helped keep Williams in Seattle is effectively preventing the entire industry from collapsing on itself.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
According to property records, city inspectors knew the home was at risk of collapsing.
—Liz Crawford, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Nicolás Maduro, a former bus driver elevated by Chávez as a loyalist rather than a statesman, inherited not only power but a collapsing system.
—Duncan S. Demarsh, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Cannon plays a Hollywood power agent scrambling to land Baldwin as the marquee name for a collapsing production.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
The ripple effect of the defense collapsing is no coincidence.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
Land subsidence is the sinking or collapsing of surface land due to the removal of things such as underground water, oil or gas.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
The soil is collapsing, leaving something resembling large puddles among the freshwater marshes.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
At the same time, a currency collapsing under international sanctions, water shortages and recurring power outages have sharpened a sense of crisis across the country.
—Roxana Saberi, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
The contract that helped keep Williams in Seattle is effectively preventing the entire industry from collapsing on itself.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
According to property records, city inspectors knew the home was at risk of collapsing.
—Liz Crawford, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Nicolás Maduro, a former bus driver elevated by Chávez as a loyalist rather than a statesman, inherited not only power but a collapsing system.
—Duncan S. Demarsh, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Cannon plays a Hollywood power agent scrambling to land Baldwin as the marquee name for a collapsing production.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
The ripple effect of the defense collapsing is no coincidence.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
Land subsidence is the sinking or collapsing of surface land due to the removal of things such as underground water, oil or gas.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
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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More than 10,000 people have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks for participating in the anti-government protests sparked by Iran’s failing economy, according to human rights groups, and many have begun to demand total regime change as the demonstrations continue.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
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Some of Miami’s 23 turnovers were a function of OKC’s attacking defense, but others were simply careless, including an over-and-back violation by Jaime Jaquez; Dru Smith and Pelle Larsson passes to nobody in particular; and Bam Adebayo failing to grab a catchable pass that sailed out of bounds.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Outside the dome, a series of machines connected by undulating pipes moves the CO2 out of the dome for compressing and condensing.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Dec. 2025
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Always, understanding comes from pinpointing the relevant factors and forgetting the rest, from compressing nature’s endless intricacies into a human-readable story about the universe.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The first few generations of those devices had subpar cameras compared to standard, non-folding phones and a visible crease running down the middle, among other shortcomings.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
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Samsung has equipped the TriFold with 45-watt wired and 15-watt wireless charging, while Vivo’s non-folding X300 Pro, for example, reaches 90 watts wired and 40 watts wirelessly, and has a larger battery to boot.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The footage shows Kim tumbling hard onto the snow and sliding across the halfpipe.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Spencer Jones blocked Joel Embiid's tip-in attempt, tumbling over Edgecombe.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And the brands that are flopping are the ones that are too safe.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
19 Dec. 2025
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If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Vacuum Bags for Travel TikTok creators swear by vacuum-seal bags for squeezing more clothing into a carry-on.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
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Tanming Linen Pants After a few days of travel and long hours spent sitting, squeezing into a pair of jeans can feel like an Olympic event.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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San Jose was seventh in MLS with 60 goals scored while going 11-15-8 last season.—
Mercury News,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
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But most of its richest pleasures come down to Fiennes going balls to the wall with a truly memorable character — half lunatic and half visionary.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Collapsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapsing. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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