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
First responders found Jenkins crumpled in the roadway, suffering from massive injuries across his body.
—
Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Spread the bedding out as much as possible in the machine so it’s not crumpled or folded.
—Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 15 Mar. 2026
One woman crumpled into the arms of her fellow protesters.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Pictures posted by the South Metro Fire Rescue show the Jeep crumpled between the semitrailer and the building, with extensive damage to the gas station.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Colbert took a paper copy with the CBS statement, crumpled it, and put it in a plastic bag typically used to collect dog feces.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Irving accidentally stepped on then-Kings center Jonas Valančiūnas’ foot and crumpled to the ground in pain.
—Christian Clark, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Sheetal Banchariya, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
Spread the bedding out as much as possible in the machine so it’s not crumpled or folded.
—Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 15 Mar. 2026
One woman crumpled into the arms of her fellow protesters.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Pictures posted by the South Metro Fire Rescue show the Jeep crumpled between the semitrailer and the building, with extensive damage to the gas station.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Colbert took a paper copy with the CBS statement, crumpled it, and put it in a plastic bag typically used to collect dog feces.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Irving accidentally stepped on then-Kings center Jonas Valančiūnas’ foot and crumpled to the ground in pain.
—Christian Clark, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumpled
Verb
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This faux leather style features an elegant, rounded collar and scrunched sleeves that together create a bold, endlessly versatile piece that can be thrown over a dress and knee-high boots for an afternoon brunch, or paired with denim and sneakers for a day of exploring.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
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Dries Van Noten wrapped a denim trench coat in a colorful, tapestry-like belts, scrunched baggy jeans into shin-grazing boots and added a bomber-style collar to a denim blazer.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Albanese said the context in which the agreement was reached was an important factor in allowing negotiations that collapsed in October 2023 to restart.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Denver firefighters searched through a parking garage that partially collapsed on Monday afternoon.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bad potatoes might be mushy, bruised, wrinkled, moldy, or green.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
18 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
Verb
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Stocks tumbled after the Federal Reserve concluded a two-day policy meeting March 18 with no change to interest rates, citing uncertainty from the war in Iran and concerns about inflation.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
-
OpenSea’s valuation tumbled about 90 percent.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There is also the infamous image of Trump at the 2018 G7, during which he was photographed sitting with his arms folded as other world leaders, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, tried to engage him.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
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Is there anything better than getting your clothes back impeccably folded into beautiful rattan boxes?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumpled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumpled. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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