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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of crumpling
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
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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To re-create the style, Abramite recommends adding mousse to damp hair and blow-drying with a diffuser while scrunching for volume at the roots and expansion throughout.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
9 Oct. 2025
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Pooling at the wrists, scrunching at the ankles, dragging on the ground — chalk these fashion challenges up to just another day in the life of this 5-foot shopping writer.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reservoirs supplying Tehran and other urban centers have dropped to critically low levels, while agricultural production in the nation’s most fertile regions is collapsing, threatening food security and rural livelihoods.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Dorzon had been shot 11 times and his girlfriend had also been hit, collapsing on the front lawn.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Still, Samsung in some ways is off to a stronger start with the Galaxy Z TriFold than the earliest folding smartphones.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
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Even worse, folding them back to flat-form following use has been difficult or impossible.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His true self comes tumbling out in between every lie, and that’s because Macfadyen makes sure of it.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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Each match consists of three rounds of competition, with rounds one and two featuring cheerleading skills including stunts, basket tosses, and tumbling in head-to-head, bracket-style rounds.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This bedding is the antithesis of scratchy, boasting a buttery feel and polished look with minimal wrinkling thanks to the sateen weave.—
Nora Taylor,
Architectural Digest,
23 Dec. 2025
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Dryer sheets soften and release wrinkles in fabrics that are prone to wrinkling, such as cotton and linen.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumpling. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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