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
But the federal government shuttered the other, Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), in August 2021, citing issues — like lax security and crumbling infrastructure — that came to light after Jeffrey Epstein's death by suicide there two years earlier.
—
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s oil infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and output has crumbled.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
Although inflation has since eased, deep structural weaknesses — massive debt, crumbling infrastructure and near-total dependence on oil — remain firmly embedded.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
The crumbling ruins of the old motor court are still there, and a Ford Super Deluxe from the 1940s rusts in a field.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumble
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s oil infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and output has crumbled.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026
Although inflation has since eased, deep structural weaknesses — massive debt, crumbling infrastructure and near-total dependence on oil — remain firmly embedded.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
The crumbling ruins of the old motor court are still there, and a Ford Super Deluxe from the 1940s rusts in a field.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumble
Verb
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Residents should also remain alert to rapidly changing forecasts, as conditions may deteriorate quickly.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Grace appears dazed when others pick up on her ache, and takes a perverse pleasure in Jackson’s struggle to deal with her deteriorating mental health.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The trail stays level early on and crosses the road a couple of times before descending through a grove of Arizona cypress to a shallow drainage.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Senate’s negotiations on reopening the government are descending into another impasse.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Their fate worsened when star striker Barbra Banda, who was crowned NWSL Championship MVP last year, was injured during a mid-August match, ending her season.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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Esperance, the human-rights advocate who once opposed a foreign intervention and has since changed his mind as the gang violence worsens, said any election held now would in effect turn the country over to the gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In a social media video, Madi said her father's health declined in the months following an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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The Administration submitted an emergency filing to the Supreme Court after an appeals court declined to block the injunction.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumble. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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