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

By Saturday night, Long Beach reported that seawater had entered homes and into streets, with the city’s Peninsula neighborhood being hard hit, and its boardwalk crumbling. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

The hotel’s journey from crumbling Presbyterian church to Silver Lake hotspot is more interesting, a soap opera that involves government red tape, some nuns and Katy Perry. — Mickey Rapkin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026

The neighborhood This is one of Bangkok’s oldest districts, where street kitchens still dish up 100-year-old family recipes and crumbling shophouses line the road. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

High school students, meanwhile, have called for a fix to staff shortages, overcrowded classrooms and crumbling school infrastructure. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

There was a palpable sense of everything crumbling around you in terms of the culture, and even social interaction became problematic. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026

Plague death exposes Putin's crumbling grip as war and economy spiral downward. — FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Their complaints include inadequate staffing at schools, a lack of resources, crumbling infrastructure, and allegedly overpacked schedules. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

During her time in office, the city has weathered federal immigration raids and witnessed a continuing exit of Hollywood jobs, while residents complain about dirty, crumbling streets and homeless encampments. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026