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

Before it was demolished in the early 1800s, his crumbling mansion was said to be haunted by ghosts and strange occurrences. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

While the bread is toasting, cook sausage in a large skillet, crumbling it into pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 minutes. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Well before their endeavours in the shadow of a crumbling Motor City became intellectual fodder, first wave producers did play the commercial game when expedient. — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2026

Right now, protesters in France are complaining about crumbling schools, the lack of teachers, and the overall high cost of living. — Erika Beras, NPR, 31 Oct. 2026

Florida has spent too much of the past decade changing coaches, changing systems and shopping the transfer portal like a desperate homeowner trying to repair a crumbling foundation with duct tape. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026

Meanwhile, the institutions that once policed this behavior are crumbling, and the new ones emerging in their place seem like they’re engineered to reward it. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026

Nearly a third of its education budget is eaten up by pensions, so its poorer schools are crumbling. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026

In Frankfurt, a gray city crumbling at the corners and still finding its footing after the war, though somehow doing its best to pretend all is well, Mann and Erika are greeted by the mayor and hustled off to a press conference. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026