as in deteriorates
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 crumbles
Like the impish anti-romance that crumbles around it, the movie’s twist is both transgressive enough to be pleased with itself and also rooted in a reality that refuses to be dismissed as a bad joke.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
The song was inspired by surviving a toxic relationship, and then finding a true-hearted love that crumbles emotional walls.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 15 Jan. 2026
Academic success means little if a child crumbles under stress.
—Dr. Mona Amin, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025
Toby’s display, overall, looks a lot nicer, but when Paul goes to take a slice of his cake from the chocolate case, the whole thing crumbles to a mess.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
At times, the house would break apart onstage, with the top half lifted in the air, only for YoungBoy to start aggressively rapping, standing supreme while the house crumbles around him.
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
However, the film often crumbles under the weight of the ambitions.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
The song was inspired by surviving a toxic relationship, and then finding a true-hearted love that crumbles emotional walls.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 15 Jan. 2026
Academic success means little if a child crumbles under stress.
—Dr. Mona Amin, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025
Toby’s display, overall, looks a lot nicer, but when Paul goes to take a slice of his cake from the chocolate case, the whole thing crumbles to a mess.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
At times, the house would break apart onstage, with the top half lifted in the air, only for YoungBoy to start aggressively rapping, standing supreme while the house crumbles around him.
—Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
However, the film often crumbles under the weight of the ambitions.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbles
Verb
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Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Highway descends into chaos after massive 75-vehicle pileup, amid hazardous winter weather.—
,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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The film is set in the idyllic summer town of Bayleen Bay, which descends into madness when an ice cream man serves kids from his truck with horrifying results.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Strong cleaners can leave residue that actually worsens allergy symptoms.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
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The funding is aimed at supporting a three-pronged plan put forward by a South End, Roxbury, and Newmarket community working group in February that focuses on getting addicts off the streets, out of jail, and into recovery to avoid the chaos and crowding that worsens there each summer.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, the USPS has become increasingly dependent on package delivery as first-class mail declines, making large customers like Amazon even more important.—
Barbara Booth,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2026
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Brandenburg-Koch declines to talk specifically about the Busfield case.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbles. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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