as in disintegrated
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as in deteriorated
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 crumbled
Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Top with crumbled cheese, if desired.
—The Know, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Top with tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, lime slices, and crumbled queso fresco.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
In recent years, life in Cuba has become even more difficult, as the population deals with daily blackouts, shortages of food and medicines and a crumbled infrastructure.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Our adaptation of the recipe gives you the option to top the beans with crumbled bacon in addition to cooking them in bacon fat.
—Saveur, 8 Aug. 2025
Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Within a short time of the fire, the walls were left burnt and crumbled.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
In the decades since his conviction and death sentence, almost every pillar of the circumstantial case against him has crumbled.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
Kolkata’s wicketkeeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi struck 52 off 29 balls, but the rest of the batting crumbled against seamers Jaydev Unadkat (3-21), Eshan Malinga (2-14) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2-17) as the Knight Riders got bowled out for 161 with four overs remaining.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
This story is told by an unnamed narrator, an irreligious woman who has joined the nuns as a lay resident after her faith in environmental advocacy crumbled.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
On March 9, Hims & Hers announced a new partnership with Novo Nordisk, after an earlier attempt at a pact crumbled last year.
—Christopher Rowland The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026
After Hurricane Milton, a 2024 Category 4 hurricane, the DEP issued an emergency order in Tampa Bay for immediate repairs to its seawalls that crumbled during the storm.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
After a strong shooting start to the game overall, the Rockets crumbled in the fourth quarter with a 4-for-16 mark from the field.
—Sam Warren, Houston Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
This crust is similar, consisting of crumbled cookies, butter and a tad of sugar — only it’s not baked.
—Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Top with crumbled cheese, if desired.
—The Know, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Top with tortilla strips, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, lime slices, and crumbled queso fresco.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2026
In recent years, life in Cuba has become even more difficult, as the population deals with daily blackouts, shortages of food and medicines and a crumbled infrastructure.
—Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Our adaptation of the recipe gives you the option to top the beans with crumbled bacon in addition to cooking them in bacon fat.
—Saveur, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
If the dinosaurs and woolly mammoths that once roamed the Earth had since crumbled into dust, then what hope was there for humanity?
—Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Within a short time of the fire, the walls were left burnt and crumbled.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
In the decades since his conviction and death sentence, almost every pillar of the circumstantial case against him has crumbled.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
Kolkata’s wicketkeeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi struck 52 off 29 balls, but the rest of the batting crumbled against seamers Jaydev Unadkat (3-21), Eshan Malinga (2-14) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (2-17) as the Knight Riders got bowled out for 161 with four overs remaining.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
This story is told by an unnamed narrator, an irreligious woman who has joined the nuns as a lay resident after her faith in environmental advocacy crumbled.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
On March 9, Hims & Hers announced a new partnership with Novo Nordisk, after an earlier attempt at a pact crumbled last year.
—Christopher Rowland The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026
After Hurricane Milton, a 2024 Category 4 hurricane, the DEP issued an emergency order in Tampa Bay for immediate repairs to its seawalls that crumbled during the storm.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
After a strong shooting start to the game overall, the Rockets crumbled in the fourth quarter with a 4-for-16 mark from the field.
—Sam Warren, Houston Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbled
Verb
-
Kuo believes the question of unification will inevitably be resolved during Xi’s tenure, but is concerned Xi will opt for a more aggressive approach, such as a blockade or invasion, as relations between Beijing and Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party have deteriorated.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Last week, Narges was finally allowed a brief visit with her sister and two lawyers, who were alarmed at how rapidly her health had deteriorated.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Santa Ynez complex, then owned by a different company, spilled more than 100,000 gallons of oil near Refugio State Beach in 2015 after a corroded pipeline burst, prompting the state to shut down operations until certain conditions were met.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The infrastructure is part of an offshore oil operation that had been closed since 2015, when a corroded section of one of the pipelines burst and caused one of the state’s worst oil spills.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Buxton had just descended some 130 feet from a hovering helicopter to help her.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
When Orion descended using a method of skipping in and out of the atmosphere to reduce speed, NASA thinks that caused the unexpected heat shield damage.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Drought conditions worsened significantly in Nebraska last month, contributing to the state's largest wildfire on record.—
Dan Peck,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
People who have been stable for years are suddenly re-exposed to risk, not because their disease worsened, but because coverage did.—
John Fomeche,
STAT,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The funding places the Salisbury-area project within a broader statewide effort to address PFAS, a class of chemicals increasingly found in public water systems, particularly in rural communities, as Maryland officials move to replace or treat contaminated supplies.—
Josh Davis,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Soil can erode, water can become contaminated, and wildlife can still be harmed.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ndiaye also declined to clear the ball, instead trying to thread a pass to retreating teammate Jake Dengler inside the 18-yard box.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In some places, fish catches declined precipitously in medium depths, which Joye attributes to nutritionally barren conditions.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The case has it all — backroom deals, bribes, tainted legislation, dark money contributions — even the suicide of a prominent official at the center of the scandal.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Those officers are no longer allowed to testify in criminal court cases because of their tainted reputation.—
Dave Savini,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbled. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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