1
as in to scrunch
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in
crumpled the piece of paper and angrily threw it in the wastebasket
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the box crumpled when I accidentally dropped a brick on it
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crumple
An employee wiped their mouth with a paper towel, crumpled it and threw it away, then returned to food prep area without changing gloves or washing hands.
—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
january 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Take a piece of aluminum foil and crumple it into a loose ball.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 11 Jan. 2026
Graham had also been a key supporter of escalation closer to home, in Venezuela, whose government was also being crumpled by the White House into the shape of a singular terrorist network.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The Nuggets were playing the Miami Heat when Jokic crumpled to the ground holding his knee at the tail end of the first half.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
january 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Take a piece of aluminum foil and crumple it into a loose ball.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 11 Jan. 2026
Graham had also been a key supporter of escalation closer to home, in Venezuela, whose government was also being crumpled by the White House into the shape of a singular terrorist network.
—Séamus Malekafzali, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026
The Nuggets were playing the Miami Heat when Jokic crumpled to the ground holding his knee at the tail end of the first half.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumple
Verb
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To give your straight strands an undone finish, spritz and scrunch them with a texture spray.—
Krista Carter,
InStyle,
27 Jan. 2026
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Late in the third quarter, Buzelis turned away from the basket and scrunched up his face in a grimace of disgust.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Abstract governance debates collapse when basic participation and revenue data are examined.—
Michael Fealey,
Sportico.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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Or that there is a wild proliferation of parallel universes, or that a mysterious process causes quantumness to spontaneously collapse.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For now, the opposition appears situated to fold in newcomers and build on the momentum.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Using its multi-camera vision system, the robot identifies laundry items, determines their orientation and shape, and executes folding motions learned during training.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Their chances of extending that record looked over after 16 minutes, though, when Diaz tumbled in the box after grappling with Kevin Akpoguma.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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At this point in his presidency four years ago, Democrat Joe Biden’s job rating was tumbling.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Karina Toner, operations manager of Spekless Cleaners, says this is ideal for items such as jackets, dresses, and shirts that don’t wrinkle as easily as other pieces of clothing.—
Jodi Gonzalez,
The Spruce,
9 Feb. 2026
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Minutes stretched into hours as Evelyn focused on ensuring her wedding ring didn't slip off her fingers, now waterlogged and wrinkled.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumple. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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