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
The drink features cold brew coffee, oat milk, and pumpkin pie syrup topped with cold foam, caramel sauce, and a crumbly graham cracker topping.
—
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly.
—Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
Apple slices and filling are sandwiched between the crumbly exterior.
—Sofia Joseph, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Consider the saucy, crumbly meals that will be shared on its surface as well.
—Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumbly
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture is crumbly.
—Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
Apple slices and filling are sandwiched between the crumbly exterior.
—Sofia Joseph, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025
Consider the saucy, crumbly meals that will be shared on its surface as well.
—Angela Tafoya, Architectural Digest, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumbly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbly
Adjective
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Like the blind father, the country is desperately trying to overcome its past and disadvantages, in pursuit of a more beautiful future — but that pursuit almost necessarily entails a brittle form of pride, which leads to various injustices along the way.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
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The risk is that the model overreaches, stripping out human oversight in ways that leave the system brittle.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In order to combat a chilly plane ride, a warm airport, and the crisp fall air upon arrival, light layers are essential.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Sep. 2025
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While not abandoning core design DNA—crisp, modern tailoring, languid sensuality, and oodles of good taste to wit—the brand delivered a collection that felt like a breath of fresh air.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumbly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbly. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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