1
as in to scrunch
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in
crumpled the piece of paper and angrily threw it in the wastebasket
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2
as in to collapse
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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Recent Examples of crumple
Richard crumples to his knees against the wall, his back to Pino, as blood begins to seep across the floor.
—
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Any doubt about the existence of rape culture simply crumples under the weight of reality.
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Asked what his argument would be for staying the course, Daboll crumpled his stat sheet and reiterated his point.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
The father, presumably coping with hearing loss, watches silently as the muffled sounds of crumpling wrapping paper and joyous voices emanate around him.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crumple 
Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Any doubt about the existence of rape culture simply crumples under the weight of reality.
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Asked what his argument would be for staying the course, Daboll crumpled his stat sheet and reiterated his point.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 8 Dec. 2024
The father, presumably coping with hearing loss, watches silently as the muffled sounds of crumpling wrapping paper and joyous voices emanate around him.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for crumple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumple
Verb
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Bunions were forming on the sides of my feet, and my little toes were starting to scrunch into claws, or hammer toes.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Outside Online,
8 Jan. 2025
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Pastor Harris had sat scrunched in his truck, dazed as his boots filled with water and blood from the gashes in his shins.—
Eduardo Medina,
New York Times,
29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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According to a 2021 Government Accountability Office report, collapsing the D.C. office drove out the agency’s most experienced employees and more than doubled the number of vacancies.—
Frederick Reimers,
Outside Online,
27 Jan. 2025
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Because several portions of the building had collapsed, firefighters were attempting to subdue the blaze from outside, Baltimore County Fire Department Cpt.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Notre Dame won’t fold, but Ohio State will make a game-changing play in the fourth quarter and complete Ryan Day’s redemption arc.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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Beneath the tailored coat was a silk wool pencil skirt and an ivory silk crepe blouse folded into a sharp neckline, all hand-sewn by Lippes’ team in New York.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Nemanja Bjelica went from shooting between 40 and 42 percent on threes for three consecutive seasons before falling to 37 percent with Miami and watching his overall shooting accuracy tumble five points.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2025
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The 15-year-old male tumbled from the northbound 5 train onto the tracks between Gun Hill Road and Pelham Parkway at 5:50 p.m., suffering a head injury, cops said.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Best of all, reviewers say these joggers pack well and don’t wrinkle.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2025
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Gurneys are parked in the hallways, and the scrubs get wrinkled and dirty.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near crumple
Cite this Entry
“Crumple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumple. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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