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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He could be seen scrunching his face in anticipation.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
27 Dec. 2025
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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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Nothing says happy Valentine’s Day like a collapsing birth rate.—
Kate Andrews,
Washington Post,
13 Feb. 2026
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The couple saw major flood damage during the same set of storms, with a wall collapsing and the house later condemned by the city.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Roll up as tight as possible, starting at lower edge, folding over ends (to tuck in contents) halfway through rolling up tortilla.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
16 Feb. 2026
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The city of Paramount was incorporated in 1958 by folding together a pair of renowned dairy and hay communities named Hynes and Clearwater.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That sent her tumbling down the standings, despite being one of only two women to land the more difficult triple axel during the program.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Feb. 2026
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The snow is still tumbling down in Livigno.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many shower curtain liners can be washed in the washing machine with baking soda to bust through tough grime and mildew and a towel to keep the liner from wrinkling.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
19 Jan. 2026
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These are more prone to wrinkling than other weaves, so plan to remove them promptly from the dryer after washing (or iron them) if wrinkles bother you.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Crumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumpling. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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