1
as in scrunches
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 collapses
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 crumples
My now-husband and I were newly a couple and still working out the kinks and crumples in an evolving relationship.
—
Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
The man crumples to the ground while the officer turns to walk away as the other officers stand by.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 11 Oct. 2025
Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
The man crumples to the ground while the officer turns to walk away as the other officers stand by.
—Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumples
Verb
-
The clear formula is lightweight but substantial enough to create a cast that scrunches out softly, leaving hair touchable instead of stiff.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Hiddleston scrunches his eyes a bit at the statement.—
StyleCaster Editors,
StyleCaster,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
At the elementary level, the figure collapses to 11%.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The folding lock design, such as the Kryptonite Kryptolok Folding Bicycle Lock, folds down to a small size for transport.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
It's built around a Murphy bed that folds away against the driver's sidewall during the day and drops down at night to sleep two people on a platform measuring a full 80 inches (203 cm) long.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Frothy water tumbles over sandstone and rock, creating challenging rapids with ominous names like Dragon's Tooth and Hell's Gate.—
Joie Probst,
Midwest Living,
10 Apr. 2026
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The video shows the plane colliding with the truck, going over the vehicle, which tumbles beneath the jet.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There are still some lingering discrepancies, wrinkles that the team thinks other collisions between particles with sizes between protons and iron could help to iron out.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Since the material never wrinkles, the pants are the ideal pick for wearing on long travel days or packing in your suitcase.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumples.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumples. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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