1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

crumbled 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of crumblednext
as in disintegrated

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

crumbled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of crumble
as in deteriorated
to become worse or of less value the stock of the energy company crumbled after the revelations of fraud and mismanagement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of crumbled
Adjective
The pre-crumbled stuff will be too dry for this salad, which benefits from the creaminess of the fresh stuff stored in water or brine. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 2 June 2026 Top with crumbled cheese, drizzle of crema, dollops of salsa verde, and garnish of lime and cilantro. — Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
Creamy goat cheese pairs well with the peaches and cucumbers, but crumbled Boursin or feta make great substitutes. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2026 Even the Clippers’ few bursts of prosperity quickly crumbled. — Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for crumbled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbled
  1. deteriorated
  2. descended
  3. corroded
  4. worsened
  5. contaminated
  6. declined
  7. tainted
Adjective
  • Clark said the supports are needed because equipment used in the investigation is too heavy and difficult to maneuver safely on the deteriorated floor.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • According to the officer, the decision to classify Sands' death as such was the result of the deteriorated condition of his body.
    — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026
Definition of deteriorated
Verb
  • There was another hint — this one visible to more than just a select few people — when Mas and his Spanish team descended on another principality, Monaco, for the race’s start.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Sheehan and other men of Patrol 2 got the call and descended the long ramp, several stories deep into the debris pile, and helped bring Keith back to the top.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of descended
Adjective
  • After 50,000 drops, the corroded patch was over a millimeter across.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Kennedy also heard reports of corroded parts being on the production line.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of corroded
Verb
  • The situation has clearly worsened with the temporary shutdown of the Saudi East-West pipeline.
    — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
  • As Stevie prepped her fifth album, Street Angel, her issues with Klonopin worsened.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of worsened
Adjective
  • Officials added that people cannot become infected with Naegleria fowleri by swallowing contaminated water; however, the amoeba can enter the body when it is forcefully introduced, such as through the nose into the brain.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • People cannot become infected by swallowing contaminated water.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of contaminated
Verb
  • Order could reshape federal wolf protections Gray wolves were first listed as endangered in 1967 after populations declined because of hunting and other human activities.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to provide further comment on the case to Fortune.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of declined
Adjective
  • One example is museums’ wall labels now mentioning tainted or dubious provenance.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The group turned its attention to Samoa in July 2018, when two young children died after being given a tainted MMR vaccine that had been improperly prepared.
    — Ali Swenson, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tainted

Browse Nearby Words

crumble
crumbled
crumbles
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbled. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of churlish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All