Synonyms of crumbling

crumbling 1 of 2

noun

as in disintegration

Related Words

• disintegration
• dissolution
• decay
• decomposition
• rot
• breakdown
• putrefaction
• spoilage
• corruption
• festering
• putrescence
• fermentation
• moldering
• souring
• curdling

Dissimilar Words

• growth
• maturation
• ripening

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

• deteriorating
• worsening
• descending
• declining
• decaying
• rotting
• degenerating
• diminishing
• sinking
• ebbing
• devolving
• disintegrating
• weakening
• regressing
• atrophying
• retrograding
• sagging
• falling
• dwindling
• slipping
• going to pot
• decomposing
• waning
• receding
• going to seed
• moldering
• downsizing
• dilapidating
• putrefying
• degrading
• reducing
• souring
• undermining
• corrupting
• debilitating
• languishing
• spoiling
• drooping
• failing
• abating
• lagging
• lessening
• lowering
• wilting
• wasting (away)
• flagging
• running down
• breaking down
• de-escalating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• improving
• ameliorating
• upgrading
• strengthening
• bettering
• enhancing
• meliorating
• intensifying
• developing
• fortifying
• enriching
• heightening
• progressing
• proceeding
• advancing
• marching

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of crumbling

Noun

Besides preventing mold and mildew, cleaning will also reduce unpleasant odors and prevent cracking and crumbling of your seal. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026

The rest of the world is watching the crumbling of America’s economic relationship with its closest trading partner, and an administration that is calling into question the sanctity of free trade agreements generally. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026

Biting into it feels tectonic, cracking and flaking and crumbling, the gravity of umami keeping it all together. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

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

Verb

The book describes trips to the archive, and then off into the ruins of the asylum, which were crumbling and also being turned into condominiums. — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026

Add the chicken, garlic powder, and chili powder and cook for 6 minutes, crumbling the meat with the back of a spoon or a potato masher (see note below), until browned. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

The agency spokesperson says that the anechoic chamber hadn’t been upgraded since 1997 and that its microwave-absorbing foam spires were crumbling. — Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

Partly because the contracting system remains dysfunctional, the government has made little visible progress toward repairing the country’s crumbling highways. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026

McKinley stages a few bullet-sweating sequences of peril, including a particularly brutal transport of gold bars across a crumbling rope bridge and an underwater accident exacerbated by floating logs. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

And when the loan sharks come calling, his barely-a-business plan starts crumbling in wince-inducing fashion. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Sep. 2026

Vigiano was assigned to NYPD Emergency Services Unit Truck 2 on 9/11 and was one of the first to rush into the crumbling World Trade Center complex. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Over in the crumbling core of Lockland Manor, Tom’s good-guy veneer slips as Kylie develops the same suspicions that led to Ian’s bludgeoning. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026