1
as in scrunching
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 collapsing
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the box crumpled when I accidentally dropped a brick on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of crumpling
Moses Moody scored 23 points before crumpling to the floor with an apparently serious left knee injury late in overtime as the Golden State Warriors beat Dallas 137-131 on Monday night, extending the Mavericks' home losing streak to 12 games, their longest in 32 years.
—
CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Material steak knives arrived sharp, slicing through a piece of paper rather than crumpling its edge.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
Kamau fading, then lunging, then crumpling to the pavement at the line.
—Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
The question is whether the world can take that long of a shock without crumpling beneath the weight of rising inflation and staggering growth.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
The sixth inning also featured a frightening moment when Cleveland’s David Fry, squaring around to bunt, took a 99 mph fastball from Skubal off his face, crumpling to the dirt as Skubal reacted with distress.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Material steak knives arrived sharp, slicing through a piece of paper rather than crumpling its edge.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
Kamau fading, then lunging, then crumpling to the pavement at the line.
—Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 11 Mar. 2026
The question is whether the world can take that long of a shock without crumpling beneath the weight of rising inflation and staggering growth.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
The sixth inning also featured a frightening moment when Cleveland’s David Fry, squaring around to bunt, took a 99 mph fastball from Skubal off his face, crumpling to the dirt as Skubal reacted with distress.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Singh’s truck blocked both lanes of the northbound Turnpike, leading the Chrysler Town & Country minivan the three friends were riding in to slam into the semi’s 18-wheeler trailer, crumpling underneath it.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumpling
Verb
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He could be seen scrunching his face in anticipation.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and use your toes to grab and curl the towel toward you, scrunching it up several times before switching sides.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In September, federal investigators with the National Institute of Standards and Technology said in a statement the partial collapse of the previous tower likely began from the pool deck, which started collapsing before the rest of the building.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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The second force is collapsing barriers to entry.—
Michael Jacobides,
Fortune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Already McCue has observed an agave, a rosette shape succulent, folding and unfolding its leaves over the course of days.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
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Instead of folding, as the Magic had done at various points throughout the regular season when faced with on-court adversity, Orlando responded with a 14-3 run to recapture a double-digit lead with three minutes left in the third frame.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Case in point, the dramatic lobby installations from star florist and designer Jeff Leatham, which might include gorgeous, tumbling floral displays in the spring, or a giant plexiglass reindeer in the winter.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
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Salesforce fell for its fifth straight session on Friday, tumbling nearly 12% for the week.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Also wrinkling matters is Eiza González as Nick’s wife Alice, who also happens to be Mike’s secret lover.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 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
“Crumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumpling. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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