rumpling

verb

present participle of rumple
1
as in crumpling
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in the guest rumpled the antique bedspread by lying down on it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrinkling
to develop creases or folds the linen skirt rumpled as soon as she started wearing it

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of the aunt would invariably rumple the little boy's hair whenever she came to visit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumpling
  1. crumpling
  2. wrinkling
  3. disrupting
  4. scrunching
  5. creasing
  6. shuffling
  7. folding
  8. disturbing
Verb
  • 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, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Late on, with the game already won, James Garner and substitute Merlin Rohl chased Enzo Fernandez, sending him crumpling to the turf.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Definition of crumpling
Verb
  • Best Wrinkle-free Top Deals From fluttery blouses to crisp button-downs, nearly every top style is on sale for Prime Day—and many of them are resistant to wrinkling, even in your suitcase.
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026
  • Dryer sheets soften and release wrinkles in fabrics that are prone to wrinkling, such as cotton and linen.
    — Lauren David, Southern Living, 19 June 2026
Definition of wrinkling
Verb
  • Researchers have identified hormone-disrupting and asthma-associated chemicals in some consumer products and continue to investigate combinations of chemicals that may warrant closer testing.
    — Brad Reisfeld, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • Its tendency to rapidly reproduce, forming dense colonies on underwater surfaces, can clog pipes, pumps and critical water infrastructure while disrupting local ecosystems.
    — Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of disrupting
Verb
  • In the meantime, Atomi encourages people to try the supine core and toe-scrunching exercises at home.
    — Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
  • He could be seen scrunching his face in anticipation.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
Definition of scrunching
Verb
  • Its fine powders fill in fine lines instead of creasing around them, too.
    — Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
  • This one is formulated specifically for the under-eye area to softly highlight and brighten your look while keeping creasing at bay.
    — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 27 June 2026
Definition of creasing
Verb
  • Getty Images The Toronto Blue Jays have been struggling with injuries across the roster this season, shuffling the big-league roster and the lower levels of the organization as a result.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The administration dissolved the CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, shuffling staffers to other divisions and interrupting work on the disease.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • Before noon, families had folding chairs lined up along Highways 244 and 16A, in Keystone and Hill City, and not for any parade – just to look up nearly 12 hours from now.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • It can also be lifted using a folding slow-rebound grip that doesn't jarringly snap back down when released.
    — Ben Coxworth July 03, New Atlas, 3 July 2026
Definition of folding
Verb
  • The appeal is largely practical, since powders travel well in a bag, don’t leave hands greasy and can be dusted on without disturbing whatever’s already on your skin.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026
  • The cream bronzer blends effortlessly underneath without disturbing the layers.
    — Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of disturbing
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

rumples
rumpling
rumps
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumpling. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on rumpling

Nglish: Translation of rumpling for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All