crumble

1 of 2

verb

crum·​ble ˈkrəm-bəl 

crumbled; crumbling ˈkrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to break into small pieces

intransitive verb

1

: to fall into small pieces : disintegrate

2

: to break down completely : collapse

marriages crumble

crumble

2 of 2

noun

1

: something crumbled : fine debris

2

: crisp sense 2

Synonyms

Verb

• atrophy
• decay
• decline
• degenerate
• descend
• deteriorate
• devolve
• ebb
• regress
• retrograde
• rot
• sink
• worsen

Examples of crumble in a Sentence

Verb

Crumble the cookies into small bits.

The recipe calls for the herbs to be crumbled.

bones so old they had crumbled to dust

She was extremely depressed after her marriage crumbled.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Oh, baby, the foundation is starting to crumble on No Good Deed. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024

Even if the glacier's entire ice shelf were to collapse today, the resulting ice cliffs would likely not be tall enough to crumble and trigger the catastrophic chain reaction previously feared. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Noun

Related article Syrian rebels appear to have entered Damascus as Assad regime’s defenses crumble Ankara has had to play the long game over Syria, and housed over three million of its refugees since 2012. —Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024

What’s the difference between a crisp and a crumble? —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of Middle English kremelen, frequentative of Old English gecrymian to crumble, from cruma

First Known Use

Verb

1547, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

crumble

verb

crum·​ble

ˈkrəm-bəl

crumbled; crumbling

-b(ə-)liŋ

1

: to break into small pieces

crumble bread

2

: to fall into ruin

relationships crumble