Synonyms of crumble

crumble

verb

ˈkrəm-bəl 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deteriorate
• descend
• worsen
• decline
• rot
• diminish
• devolve
• decay
• sink
• degenerate
• disintegrate
• atrophy
• weaken
• regress
• ebb
• fall
• sag
• retrograde
• go to seed
• wane
• recede
• dwindle
• go to pot
• decompose
• slip
• degrade
• putrefy
• downsize
• reduce
• sour
• undermine
• dilapidate
• corrupt
• abate
• spoil
• fail
• wilt
• languish
• debilitate
• lessen
• waste (away)
• molder
• droop
• break down
• de-escalate
• run down
• lower
• lag
• flag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improve
• better
• ameliorate
• upgrade
• strengthen
• intensify
• proceed
• enhance
• develop
• fortify
• enrich
• meliorate
• heighten
• march
• progress
• advance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crumble

In Frankfurt, a gray city crumbling at the corners and still finding its footing after the war, though somehow doing its best to pretend all is well, Mann and Erika are greeted by the mayor and hustled off to a press conference. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026

There are so many flaws in the aging, crumbling infrastructure of the internet. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Door frames stacked like cards lean against a far wall beside pallets of crumbling Solnhofen limestone floor tiles. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026

The company crumbled after John Carreyrou, then a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, broke the story in 2015 that Theranos wasn’t using its own technology to run most of its blood tests. — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026