1
as in to tumble
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the motel balcony collapsed under the weight of so many people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fail
to be unsuccessful
the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence
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3
as in to compress
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
the novel collapses events from four separate trips into one long odyssey
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1
as in exhaustion
a complete depletion of energy or strength
suffered a mental collapse under the strain of studying for his bar exam
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2
as in defeat
a falling short of one's goals
the complete collapse of the invasion set off a round of finger-pointing and recrimination
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapse
John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
But there is another factor, another reason why Moscow’s hold on Syria collapsed with suspicious speed.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
His only other playoff game was the historic collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for collapse 
Verb
Putin is gambling that Russia can outlast Ukraine, believing that without decisive Western aid, Ukrainian morale and resources will collapse.
—John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025
But there is another factor, another reason why Moscow’s hold on Syria collapsed with suspicious speed.
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
In Port-au-Prince alone, where the largest number of homeless are located, displacements have nearly doubled, fueled by the relentless gang violence, the collapse of healthcare services and worsening hunger.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
His only other playoff game was the historic collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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Then, out of nowhere, her dog comes rushing over and immediately tumbles, lying on his side and sliding across the ice and out of view of the camera.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
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Shares of Sunrun have popped 16% already this year after tumbling 53% in 2024.Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Then one of the legs failed and the lander fell over.David Szondy, New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2025
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On the other hand, one failing component could indicate that other parts of the oven will fail soon too.Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The new tags now collect the data daily and compress it into a 12-byte file before transmitting it back to the research team via a novel long-range network.Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
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Disassemble carefully, compressing the branches as much as possible.Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The fires have left Mayorga with a painful mix of anxiety, depression and exhaustion.Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
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And burnout isn’t just a trendy buzzword; this is a very real, very draining state of exhaustion that dims your spark.Ankur Bindal, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Despite Fritz’s defeat, there remains a healthy contingent of US participants in the tournament, with Monfils facing American Ben Shelton in the fourth round on Monday.Matias Grez, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
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Their first defeat since December 7 must be quickly consigned to history and Howe’s team must learn how to better recover from setbacks at home.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But there’s also no shame going with the sidekick, who proved his mettle after 10 games out by not missing a single defensive beat.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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Drafted by the Browns in 2010, McCoy had to go with the teams that wanted to give him a job.Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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If the main trunk of the jade has gotten wildly overgrown and is flopping over under its own weight, lop it off.Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Jan. 2025
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Which leads us to Better Man’s bitterest irony: All anecdotal evidence suggests the movie flopped precisely because the Williams-as-mo-cap-chimp conceit was just too highbrow to put butts in seats.Chris Lee, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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These forces squeeze a star horizontally while stretching it vertically.Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Jan. 2025
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Egypt lost $7 billion in crucial revenue from the Suez Canal in 2024 as the conflict in Gaza has squeezed shipping in the Red Sea, according to government officials.Vivian Yee, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near collapse
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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