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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Recent Examples of crumple
Specifically, during a phone call Sullivan had with Eric after the ordeal, which marked a low point for the series as Eric launched into a verbal tirade while cameras captured Sullivan crumpled into a bawling heap.
—
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
The Honda’s trunk flew open, the front crumpled.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026
The oar swung violently in its oarlock, knocking him into the river and crumpling the raft’s aluminum frame.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 11 Feb. 2026
The polar bear crumpled three steps from Junior’s feet.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
The Honda’s trunk flew open, the front crumpled.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026
The oar swung violently in its oarlock, knocking him into the river and crumpling the raft’s aluminum frame.
—Emilee Coblentz, Outside, 11 Feb. 2026
The polar bear crumpled three steps from Junior’s feet.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumple
Verb
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Talayah Walker scrunched her eyebrows at the podium when Georgia Tech coach Karen Blair mentioned — in a complimentary way — that her star sophomore had committed only one turnover Sunday.—
Stan Awtrey,
AJC.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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Comb and scrunch to distribute product evenly.—
Essence Wiley,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Degrading Iran’s war machine The larger munitions would have likely been used to penetrate underground facilities, destroy missile launch bunkers, and collapse tunnels or storage depots.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
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This side-splitting comedy follows the same well-meaning troupe from The Play That Goes Wrong, whose latest attempt at staging Peter Pan quickly collapses into chaos.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Shake them out and fold them or put them back on the bed right away for a crisp look.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
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The Loyal folded, and in December 2023, Ferree became the first player ever signed by SDFC.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Just one week ago, a report hypothesizing on how AI could disrupt the economy sent the Dow tumbling by more than 800 points.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
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Back then, the American economy surged as businesses became more productive, unemployment tumbled and inflation remained in check.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now’s also a great time to stock up on timeless basics like the Lands’ End Super-T Short-sleeve T-shirt, a soft cotton-jersey T-shirt that won’t wrinkle, shrink, or pill over time, and is available in a whopping 13 shades that are currently 25 percent off.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 2026
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The report noted wrinkling on Smith’s hands from water immersion, according to People.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumple. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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