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

The man scribbled outside the boxes on his ballot and crumbled it up. —Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 6 Nov. 2024

Variations to mix into the cooked, mashed potatoes: Freshly chopped herbs such as parsley, dill, sage and rosemary; roasted garlic; nonfat chicken broth instead of milk; favorite cheeses, shredded or crumbled. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2024

Noun

And when the reward doesn’t feel worth the struggle—or when things get hard—motivation crumbles. —Akin Akinpelu, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

As her face crumbles at the news, the scene cuts to Grace, as the camera slowly zooms in. —Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 4 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