1
as in scrunched
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 collapsed
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of crumpled
Some might view that as a bad thing, given that the Broncos’ run-game consistency crumpled after that Dobbins injury.
—
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
The Knicks were closing in on a Game 4 win — and a 3-1 advantage in their eventual six-game series victory — when Tatum crumpled to the court and grabbed his right ankle in the waning minutes of that May 12 playoff game.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Toronto’s Andrés Giménez spun halfway around and crumpled to the ground on a check swing in the sixth inning.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Minutes into the third quarter, Dončić crumpled to the ground after planting his left leg, again reaching for the hamstring.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Aerial footage of the aftermath showed wreckage scattered across the roof, including the plane’s right wing still lodged in the roof, while the fuselage sat crumpled in the backyard.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The injury occurred on a breakaway in Dallas last Monday, leaving Moody crumpled on the floor and requiring a stretcher.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Boz just towers over her, is confident and assured as always, and Rachel is all crumpled up and just wants to get out of there.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Callaghan asked for details, and LaBeouf physically crumpled, trying to stop himself from saying more.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Luca Evans, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
The Knicks were closing in on a Game 4 win — and a 3-1 advantage in their eventual six-game series victory — when Tatum crumpled to the court and grabbed his right ankle in the waning minutes of that May 12 playoff game.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Toronto’s Andrés Giménez spun halfway around and crumpled to the ground on a check swing in the sixth inning.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Minutes into the third quarter, Dončić crumpled to the ground after planting his left leg, again reaching for the hamstring.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Aerial footage of the aftermath showed wreckage scattered across the roof, including the plane’s right wing still lodged in the roof, while the fuselage sat crumpled in the backyard.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
The injury occurred on a breakaway in Dallas last Monday, leaving Moody crumpled on the floor and requiring a stretcher.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
Boz just towers over her, is confident and assured as always, and Rachel is all crumpled up and just wants to get out of there.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Callaghan asked for details, and LaBeouf physically crumpled, trying to stop himself from saying more.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumpled
Verb
-
Mind you, that was also by design — the west side of the stadium was roped off entirely, so that 50% of capacity was scrunched into one half of the building.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Further inspection found a Mexican citizen scrunched into a makeshift, dry compartment in the gas tank that February day.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Bulgaria's previous conservative government collapsed in December after nationwide anti-corruption protests drew hundreds of thousands of mainly young people to the streets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The climax hit, and as every Phish fan knows, nearly collapsed the song before Anastasio brought the chicky-chicky guitar back in.—
Jeff Miller,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The last thing Louise saw before losing consciousness was this woman’s face, wrinkled in an unapologetic way, old, shamelessly old, defiantly so.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
When selecting pencil-thin asparagus, make sure the skin is not wrinkled, as this is a sign of dehydration or woodiness.—
Victoria Spencer,
Martha Stewart,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Shares have tumbled every year since their 2021 debut, with its market value closing at about $22 million on Tuesday.—
Bloomberg,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Its shares had tumbled every year since their 2021 debut, when near-zero interest rates were pushing up speculative stocks of all stripes.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
News organizations elsewhere — including in the Caribbean — have faced layoffs, folded entirely or attempted to bring in new revenue by soliciting donations or adding paywalls to websites.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The loaf is topped with hot honey and features an explosion of pepperoni cups in the middle, along with marinara sauce, mozzarella, and more pepperoni folded into the dough.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumpled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumpled. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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