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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When hospitals operate under extreme and unpredictable demand spikes, patient safety deteriorates.—
Eugene Litvak,
STAT,
27 Mar. 2026
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Haldea cautioned that the secondary market could struggle to absorb a large wave of redemptions if investor sentiment deteriorates sharply.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the summer air thickens with diffused sunlight and harsh humidity, a psychological fog descends on our young protagonist.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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And water aerobics for senior women descends into a bizarre request.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And as our credit deteriorates, borrowing gets more expensive, forcing us to borrow more to keep up, which worsens our credit further.—
Bill Conway,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Distress could spread to countries beyond the Gulf if dire conditions prompt residents to flee across borders and infrastructure damage worsens a global oil shock, analysts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jeannot is not wired to jump anybody who declines an invitation.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Six out of the 10 top richest people in the world have experienced wealth declines between $30 and $60 billion this calendar year, totalling over $255 billion.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbles. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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