as in brittle
having a texture that readily breaks into little pieces under pressure
a crumbly shortbread cookie
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Recent Examples of crumbly
Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
—
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 15 May 2025
There is marine sand and sediment, river wash, and alluvium, with pockets of soft, crumbly earth and clay.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Using a fork, cut in butter until flour mixture is crumbly.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2025
The soup came with a side of crunchy tortilla chips fried in beef tallow, diced onions, chillies and crumbly cheese.
—Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumbly
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 15 May 2025
There is marine sand and sediment, river wash, and alluvium, with pockets of soft, crumbly earth and clay.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Using a fork, cut in butter until flour mixture is crumbly.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2025
The soup came with a side of crunchy tortilla chips fried in beef tallow, diced onions, chillies and crumbly cheese.
—Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumbly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbly
Adjective
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Too often, however, the systems behind it are brittle—swelling during periods of hypergrowth and collapsing under the weight of a downturn.—
Kehinde Fawumi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
For a more intensive, wash-day treatment, consider Sutra’s hair mask packed with hyaluronic acid and plant proteins to transform dry, brittle strands after just ten minutes.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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The team wasn’t crisp, the hustle plays went Indiana’s way given the difference in effort and the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd fueled the Pacers on each of their runs, throwing punch after punch.—
Nick Crain,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Bake in preheated oven until slightly crisp and starting to turn golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.—
Marianne Williams,
Southern Living,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumbly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbly. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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