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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in failing
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapsing
Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Some of the homes now collapsing were once a few lots back from the beach, local residents told USA TODAY.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
While her wit, charm and determination bring her attention, her collapsing health, social prejudice and family tensions conspire against her.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
The maps of those three little museums have been superimposed on each other, enabling visitors to enter the three ghost spaces simultaneously, crossing layer after layer of cultural history, with the various walls and plans collapsing into one another.
—Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
The breakthrough offers the clearest picture yet of how these cosmic giants survive for billions of years without collapsing.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
After collapsing on stage during the All Things Go festival in Queens on September 27, British singer Lola Young canceled a second performance for the same festival series the next day.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
After collapsing and losing the division to the Guardians, the Tigers have a chance to make up for everything by winning this series.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Marathon runners collapsing at the finish line often drank too much plain water, not too little.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Those traditional systems are now collapsing alongside aquifers, and ancient settlements in Yazd in central Iran, Kerman in southeast Iran, and Khorasan in northeastern Iran have been abandoned as qanats dried up, aquifers caved in, and land subsided.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Some of the homes now collapsing were once a few lots back from the beach, local residents told USA TODAY.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
While her wit, charm and determination bring her attention, her collapsing health, social prejudice and family tensions conspire against her.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
The maps of those three little museums have been superimposed on each other, enabling visitors to enter the three ghost spaces simultaneously, crossing layer after layer of cultural history, with the various walls and plans collapsing into one another.
—Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
The breakthrough offers the clearest picture yet of how these cosmic giants survive for billions of years without collapsing.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
After collapsing on stage during the All Things Go festival in Queens on September 27, British singer Lola Young canceled a second performance for the same festival series the next day.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
After collapsing and losing the division to the Guardians, the Tigers have a chance to make up for everything by winning this series.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Marathon runners collapsing at the finish line often drank too much plain water, not too little.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapsing
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The defense missed a few key stops, failing to protect a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Harrington's sump pump had malfunctioned, failing to push rising waters back outside.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But Grok’s issues are not the result of a novel algorithm behaving in novel ways so much as an algorithm compressing and refracting all of the worst tendencies of the internet in very predictable forms.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Unlike regular audio formats like MP3 and AAC, which remove certain details while compressing an audio file, the lossless format preserves every detail from the original recording.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
According to data from market research firm IDC, the average selling price of folding phones is nearly three times higher than that of normal smartphones — roughly $1,218 vs. $421 for non-folding phones.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Federal funds allowed many schools to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite tumbling enrollment numbers.—
Jeremy Tanner,
The Hill,
29 Sep. 2025
-
An unnamed climber lost control while glissading down another route, Avalanche Gulch, tumbling several hundred feet down the mountain.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Splinter after splinter flopping onto the stone threshold, tsss, tsss, hissing like a nest of vipers.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
This Colombian has been flopping in the US since 2003, has apparently not had a job since 2014.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But, to do you any good, squeezing the veins must propel the blood in the right direction, toward the heart.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The earbuds are controlled by squeezing the stem.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Westbound Highway 50 traffic is slow-going but lanes appear open.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The Chiefs — abruptly and strangely — have lost their ability to win one-score games after going 12-0 in those contests during the 2024 season.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapsing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapsing. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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