crumbling 1 of 2

noun

as in disintegration

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crumbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of crumble
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value the stock of the energy company crumbled after the revelations of fraud and mismanagement

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 crumbling
Noun
But advocates like VanDiver said the letters, alongside the crumbling of other programs like Temporary Protected Status and immigration application pauses, cause confusion and fear. — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026 Putin and his Kremlin oligarchs have confidently anticipated a crumbling of Western assistance for Ukraine. — Ihor N. Stelmach, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026 There is so much discussion about the demise of literacy and the crumbling of the American education system. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 July 2026 The crumbling of Platner’s campaign forced a reckoning for his most loyal backers. — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026 York said Republicans still need the president’s leadership in the midterm elections and cannot rely on the Democratic Party crumbling. — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026 If approved, the measure would take effect as soon as April 1, 2027, and would generate about $20 million annually to help pay for things such as replacing the crumbling, 100-year-old, concrete-and-steel approach ramp that provides the only access to the city’s iconic wooden pier. — Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2026 As the tree grows, the roots will push out and possibly up, causing cracks and crumbling of the surfaces. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026 The video marked the crumbling of his alibi, legal experts told CNN at the time. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
Verb
When the government took over Riis, the east wing of the crumbling bathhouse was given over to the National Park Service lifeguards. — Jake Offenhartz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 The club and regional government have both had different design and financing ideas for modernising the crumbling Vallecas stadium. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The Pratts are in serious crisis, besieged by bullies and bad neighbors outside of their house and foundation-crumbling dysfunction inside it. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026 The crumbling institution makes an appropriately strange backdrop for a romp that mixes madcap antics, tangled romantic relationships, and the frank, sometimes enthusiastically gross sexuality that is one of Waller-Bridge’s signatures. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Instead of crumbling in defeat, Rivera roared back with defiance. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Puerto Rico has struggled with water and power outages for years due to crumbling infrastructure. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026 The way Mellencamp tells it, the walls crumbling down were those that protected the poor before President Reagan’s deregulating spree. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 The video shows the building shaking and crumbling as onlookers scream before the structure ultimately gives way. — Eric MacK , Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbling
  1. disintegration
  2. deteriorating
  3. worsening
  4. descending
  5. declining
Noun
  • Marvel’s most ambitious crossover event and most ambitious disintegration of said crossover event, Infinity War delivers in both devastating and groundbreaking fashion.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
  • His employer, the Seattle Mariners, was dealing with financial uncertainty following the disintegration of their regional sports network.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of disintegration
Verb
  • Families of some of the 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln describe low morale and deteriorating conditions.
    — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Concerns about mental health deteriorating on these types of deployments are well-founded.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • The Washington’s deployment comes as reports have emerged in recent months recounting worsening living conditions, mental health concerns, and supply shortages on board the Lincoln.
    — Connor Greene, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The exploration licenses were granted before Greenland stopped issuing new licenses in 2021, citing the worsening climate crisis.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • Throughout the night, a massive cylindrical lighting-and-video rig loomed above the stage, descending toward the performers, rising into the rafters and continually changing the dimensions of the space around them.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026
  • One of the first stops is Cascade River State Park, where short hiking trails follow a series of rapids and waterfalls descending toward the lake.
    — Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • Farage did not give a victory speech after declining to attend the declaration, claiming police had warned of a campaign to disrupt it.
    — Reagan Yip, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Is the town’s population growing or declining, and by how much?
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

crumbliness
crumbling
crumbly
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Cite this Entry

“Crumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbling. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on crumbling

Nglish: Translation of crumbling for Spanish Speakers

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