as in deteriorates
to become worse or of less value
the stock of the energy company crumbled after the revelations of fraud and mismanagement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 crumbles
That is the moment that everything crumbles for Rachel.
—
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 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
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 May 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
-
That is why a hedge here makes sense while markets sit near highs, VIX remains compressed near the high teens, and investors are still leaning heavily into a handful of leadership names as the macro backdrop deteriorates.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
-
Hospitals use the same billing codes for the ER visit, whether a patient’s condition deteriorates or not.—
Andrew Jones,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Coppola’s Vietnam epic alongside Schlöndorff’s surreal story about a child who refuses to grow up as Europe descends into madness.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
In the film, biotechnology professor Se-jeong, played by Jun, attends an industry conference that descends into chaos after a rapidly mutating virus is released.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
This can create a cycle where stress worsens physical symptoms and, in turn, the symptoms increase stress and anxiety.—
Suchandrima Bhowmik,
Health,
15 May 2026
-
The steps taken in the hours and days after receiving that notice can play a major role in determining how much income is protected, and, ultimately, whether the situation worsens or becomes more manageable.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
When a security system declines a valid purchase, the customer often abandons the cart and moves to a competitor.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
Distribution revenue was $858 million as vs $870 million on net subscriber declines.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumbles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbles. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
