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
This crumbly, salty aged cheese, made with either goat’s or cow’s milk, adds a sharp, salty flavor to dishes.
—
Rick Bayless,
Midwest Living,
13 May 2026
Here are details on crumbly cotija cheeses that instantly elevate savory dishes, and the tough, chewy crumbles to avoid.
—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
But where limestone is crumbly and opaque, nacre’s toughness and light-bending properties come from silklike proteins that weave among the layers, holding them in place while providing enough elasticity to absorb the shock of a fracture.
—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
Using a wooden spoon, stir until a crumbly dough is formed.
—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumbly
Rick Bayless,
Midwest Living,
13 May 2026
Here are details on crumbly cotija cheeses that instantly elevate savory dishes, and the tough, chewy crumbles to avoid.
—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
But where limestone is crumbly and opaque, nacre’s toughness and light-bending properties come from silklike proteins that weave among the layers, holding them in place while providing enough elasticity to absorb the shock of a fracture.
—
Caitlin Kennedy,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2026
Using a wooden spoon, stir until a crumbly dough is formed.
—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumbly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbly
Adjective
-
Restore dry, brittle hair with this hydrating shampoo that more than 8,000 shoppers bought in the last month alone.
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Grass blades with frost on them are brittle and can be damaged by mowing.
Adjective
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Off a throw-in in the Ecuador half, Germany made a few crisp passes into the middle of the field, until the ball ended up at Leroy Sané’s feet just inside the box.
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These wireless headphones deliver crisp, clear audio but feature a lightweight design that is comfortable enough to wear all day.
Adjective
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The second bottle, with confetti-ish contents, was equally useless—whatever had been inside had broken down into a friable mess.
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However, the fragile and friable nature of aged amber likely posed a significant challenge to its removal.
Cite this Entry
“Crumbly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbly. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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