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
Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
The dictatorship collapsed in 1983, after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, the British colony in the South Atlantic, and proceeded to lose a bloody and humiliating war.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
The collapse of Assad's government prompted widespread concerns and resulted in recent strikes in Syria carried out by Israel.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for collapse 
Verb
One man collapsed at his girlfriend’s home and began seizing.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024
The dictatorship collapsed in 1983, after Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, the British colony in the South Atlantic, and proceeded to lose a bloody and humiliating war.
—Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
The problem is loss of faith, and the metaphor is climate collapse.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
The collapse of Assad's government prompted widespread concerns and resulted in recent strikes in Syria carried out by Israel.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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The announcement, made Wednesday, sent the retailer's shares tumbling by 10 percent in pre-market trading.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
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That news sent shares tumbling 6.2 percent in morning trading, following the release.Rhonda Richford, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Ryan Hartman, in a lengthy offensive slump, failed to get back defensively on the Panthers’ third goal.Joe Smith, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
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The driver then reportedly cut across the lanes of I-84 West onto the Exit 55 ramp to Route 2 East as troopers attempted, and failed, to box the vehicle in, state police said.Staff report, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The musical spans more than two decades and compresses them into a show that lasts little more than two hours.Katie Marie Davies, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024
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The optic nerve seems to then compress it down to about 100 million bits/sec.Michael Irving, New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The probe comes after a 114-page report, released earlier this year by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), found that exhaustion, burnout and an overall lack of sleep for controllers — particularly during evening shifts — has hindered safety and led to accidents.The Hill Staff, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024
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Poor mental health in the workplace can result in burnout and exhaustion, which leads to high turnover rates, failure to meet deadlines or targets and a generally unmotivated workforce.Kendra Davenport, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The collapse is a major defeat for Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who had cobbled together a deal to avoid a government shutdown just before the Christmas holiday—only to be undercut at the last minute by the leader of his own party and the world’s richest man.Brian Bennett, TIME, 19 Dec. 2024
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First-year Tulane coach Jon Sumrall doesn’t want to end with three straight defeats, but recognizes the challenge ahead.Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The cases, brought by 60 men and 60 women, span incidents going as far back as 1991.Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
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The fact that tax revenue didn't go directly back into the community, to fix roads and bridges damaged by years of fighting, made some residents angry — and fueled protests.Lauren Frayer, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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During this two-year period, a mix of crafty and bumbling crooks took advantage of a tax loophole that — not unlike the plot hatched in Mel Brooks’ The Producers — allowed labels to write off losses on albums that had supposedly flopped.Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2024
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The pre-flop raiser had pocket Aces (AA) and flopped top set.Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Reusable Pizza Storage Container (5-Pack) This triangular container is way easier to squeeze into the fridge than a bulky pizza box.Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 10 Dec. 2024
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Translated, the budget pressures that Fitch expects to continue squeezing higher education are coming from rising costs and stagnant public support and not necessarily from market retraction.Derek Newton, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near collapse
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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