crumble

[kruhm-buhl] / ˈkrʌm bəl /

VERB

break or fall into pieces

Synonyms

STRONGEST

break up collapse crush decay degenerate deteriorate disintegrate dissolve grind tumble

STRONG

crumb decompose fragment granulate molder perish powder pulverize putrefy

WEAK

go to pieces triturate

Antonyms

STRONGEST

build develop improve unite

WEAK

put together

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Institutions don’t crumble overnight, and they certainly don’t collapse from the top.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

The subscription revenue model pioneered by cloud software would crumble, replaced by a consumption-based one that favors AI start-ups, chip companies, and cloud-computing hyperscalers.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

The gambit was meant to speed the agency’s approval should the Netflix deal crumble.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Now they are watching the future of that partnership crumble.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

Last, I could crumble some of the Froot Loops on top of the vanilla icing, for some extra pizazz.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

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