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
Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Many salads call for crumbled goat cheese and parmesan cheese is common in a traditional caesar salad.
—Jennifer Lefton, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2026
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
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
ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
In the restaurant’s early days, Millsap became romantically involved with another staffer, who left the restaurant after their relationship crumbled.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The Mavericks have been out of the playoff race for weeks in a season that started with high expectations but crumbled with Anthony Davis' continuing injury issues and eventual trade to Washington.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Sure enough, the team crumbled down the stretch in Denver and until the season was officially over, losing five straight to end the year.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
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
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
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
Adjective
Top with crumbled cheese, drizzle of crema, dollops of salsa verde, and garnish of lime and cilantro.
—Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Many salads call for crumbled goat cheese and parmesan cheese is common in a traditional caesar salad.
—Jennifer Lefton, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2026
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
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
Winds crumbled metal bleachers at a sports field.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
In the restaurant’s early days, Millsap became romantically involved with another staffer, who left the restaurant after their relationship crumbled.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 14 Apr. 2026
The Mavericks have been out of the playoff race for weeks in a season that started with high expectations but crumbled with Anthony Davis' continuing injury issues and eventual trade to Washington.
—CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Sure enough, the team crumbled down the stretch in Denver and until the season was officially over, losing five straight to end the year.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbled
Verb
-
The lawsuit says the hospital did not tell his family that Hylton’s condition had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to the ICU without a doctor on-site.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
-
All the while, his injuries mounted and personal life deteriorated.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
During the renovation of the pool, its original, corroded water jets were discovered.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
9 Apr. 2026
-
To reduce the risk, Powell Partners LLC, which owns the building, filed a permit on March 27 to remove a 50-foot section of a wall at the back of the structure, which is currently being held up by a jumble of corroded support beams.—
Aldo Toledo,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Seen from behind, the gown descended into a waterfall drapery with overlapping layers of white and green satin—a tribute to the colors of the Pakistani flag.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
New York parents and advocates descended on City Hall Thursday to plead with Mayor Mamdani to break with his schools chancellor and impose a two-year moratorium on artificial intelligence in the classroom.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My grandfather’s heart disease worsened.—
Christian Mitchell,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Several of those large office buildings became vacant or under-used as insurers consolidated their operations elsewhere, and the trend worsened during the work-from-home era that began with the pandemic.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Jovanni periodically while Daniels followed instructions on cleaning, handwashing and keeping Jovanni away from contaminated dirt.—
Chris Bowling,
ProPublica,
15 Apr. 2026
-
People most at risk of health issues from PFAS include young children, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, those who live in contaminated areas, or people — like firefighters or chemical manufacturers — who are exposed to PFAS on the job.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In an email, Gardner declined to comment on the specifics of the situation.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The prosecutor declined to comment further to AP pending further investigation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While Liang seeks to distance the company from the tainted elements, Supermicro’s longer-term fate may hinge on whether Nvidia stays close or decides to keep its distance.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Crumbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbled. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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