collapse 1 of 2

verb

kə-ˈlaps How to pronounce collapse (audio)
Definition of collapsenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fail
to be unsuccessful the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

collapse

2 of 2

noun

1
as in exhaustion
a complete depletion of energy or strength suffered a mental collapse under the strain of studying for his bar exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of collapse
Verb
Previous ceasefire efforts have collapsed due to disagreements over the terms of hostage releases and Israel's demand for Hamas to disarm—something Hamas has repeatedly refused to do. — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 On Thursday, February 13th, Bunty and a few others from the Forest Service visited one of their most urgent projects, a section of Interstate 40 that had collapsed into the Pigeon River and remained closed to traffic. — Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
Or a bridge collapse may necessitate prompt debris removal and reconstruction. — Albert C. Lin, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2025 After the near collapse triggered by an assault from all sides, combined with the pipeline assault, Russian forces triumphantly raised their flag over Sudzha. — Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
  1. tumble
  2. fail
  3. compress
  4. exhaustion
  5. defeat
  6. go
  7. flop
  8. squeeze
Verb
  • Sunrun — Shares of the residential solar energy tumbled about 7%.
    — Brian Evans, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s whiskey, tumbled 5.1%, and Harley-Davidson sank 5.7%.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of tumble
Verb
  • Organizations that fail to measure impact and ROI may risk losing executive support and budget.
    — Ryan Austin, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Repressive regimes have failed to block the agency’s promotion of freedom around the world.
    — Young Kim, National Review, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of fail
Verb
  • It's considered lossless to the eye, but the signal is actually compressed at a 3:1 ratio.
    — PCMAG, PCMAG, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The Liberal leadership race was compressed, and Carney was far ahead all along, so his opponents were not motivated to challenge him too much.
    — Stephen Maher, TIME, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of compress
Noun
  • Are Too Many Priorities Making Work More Stressful? Trying to solve everything at once leads to exhaustion and inaction.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
  • That exhaustion has led to hundreds of bills introduced in nearly every state over the years to halt the practice.
    — Margery A. Beck, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of exhaustion
Noun
  • As a result, Atlanta were able to enact revenge on The Bay who handed them their only defeat of the TGL season.
    — Ben Morse, CNN, 19 Mar. 2025
  • On the women’s side, JC Smith (7-18) opens against Livingstone — a team that swept the Golden Bulls with a pair of 13-point defeats in the regular season.
    — Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • If that snood suddenly shortens, your gobbler has gone from relaxed to alert, and the jig might be up.
    — Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2025
  • That game was just the start of an epic back-and-forth that’s seen the coaches meet in two Final Fours — and win one apiece; go head-to-head in the NBA and Conference USA; and later share a state when Pitino led Louisville and Calipari helmed Kentucky.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of go
Verb
  • Kraven the Hunter — Sony Marvel’s box office flop starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe — arrives on Netflix this week.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Gaga played Harley Quinn in the DC movie, which flopped at the box office and was panned by critics.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of flop
Verb
  • Instead of mechanical rollers, this mask uses inflating and deflating mechanisms to gently squeeze around your eyes and temples, creating a rhythmic, pulse-like massage.
    — Siena Gagliano, Allure, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Tension headaches are the most common type, and can feel like a band is squeezing your forehead, with pain extending to your scalp and neck, per the US National Library of Medicine.
    — Korin Miller, SELF, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of squeeze

Browse Nearby Words

collapse
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on collapse

Nglish: Translation of collapse 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

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

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

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

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
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 Word Game 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?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All