as in to deteriorate
to become worse or of less value
the stock of the energy company crumbled after the revelations of fraud and mismanagement
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Recent Examples of crumble
Newcastle’s home form has long been a bedrock, but that foundation has crumbled in recent weeks and cheers have been replaced by jeers.
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Some reels were rusted and misshapen, pieces of nitrate had crumbled, and other strips were stuck together.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Grab a package and enjoy them as-is or crumble them over a mini rice bowl or some rice cakes slathered with peanut butter.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 26 Feb. 2026
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumble
George Caulkin, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Some reels were rusted and misshapen, pieces of nitrate had crumbled, and other strips were stuck together.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Grab a package and enjoy them as-is or crumble them over a mini rice bowl or some rice cakes slathered with peanut butter.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 26 Feb. 2026
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumble
Verb
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The development changed hands a couple of times during the 1920s, and during the late 1920s and the 1930s, the building deteriorated to the point of being unlivable as white flight and disinvestment hit the area, Preservation Chicago said.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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Infection occurs when the tree's bark is damaged by insects, animals, or mechanical wounds, causing the soft wood to deteriorate quickly and make the trunk and branches susceptible to breakage.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Over the past few days, the biggest tennis stars in the world have descended on the tony desert enclave of Indian Wells, California for the BNP Paribas Open, also known as Tennis Paradise.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Even as busloads of Bruins fans descended on Galen Center, turning USC’s arena into hostile territory, the Trojans showed signs of life early on.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The conflict also threatens to worsen Afghanistan’s already grave humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by Western aid cuts following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Iran's attack on the Ras Tanura refinery represents a major escalation, a Middle East analyst said, with Iran demonstrating that key Gulf energy infrastructure is within its reach, and investor sentiment was likely to worsen.—
DAVID McHUGH,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Iranian retaliatory attacks appear to be declining — ballistic missile strikes have fallen by 90% and drone attacks by 83%, according to US Central Command — potentially easing pressure on Gulf states that have faced Iranian strikes in recent days.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Bonta’s office declined to comment.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumble. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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