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

Today, despite its crumbling condition, the concrete trough still attracts young Bosnian athletes chasing Olympic dreams. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2025

But the vaccine's power to beat back measles outbreaks starts to crumble when vaccination rates drop low enough. —Alyson Hurt, NPR, 28 Feb. 2025

Noun

Owner Maria Rodriguez takes the time to drain the chorizo and mix the crumbles while cooking the egg so the filling is evenly seasoned. —Edmund Tijerina, Bon Appétit, 27 Feb. 2025

The fast food chain says the Thin Mints Frosty combines a classic chocolate or vanilla Frosty, swirled and topped with a rich, minty cookie crumble sauce inspired by the popular Girl Scout cookie flavor. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025

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

Rhymes for crumble

• bumble
• fumble
• grumble
• humble
• jumble
• mumble
• rumble
• stumble
• tumble
• umbel

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