crumple

1 of 2

verb

crum·​ple ˈkrəm-pəl 

crumpled; crumpling ˈkrəm-p(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to press, bend, or crush out of shape : rumple

2

: to cause to collapse

intransitive verb

1

: to become crumpled

2

: collapse

crumple

2 of 2

noun

: a wrinkle or crease made by crumpling

crumply

ˈkrəm-p(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• crinkle
• rumple
• scrunch
• wrinkle

Examples of crumple in a Sentence

Verb

She crumpled the piece of paper into a ball and tossed it into the garbage can.

The car's fender was crumpled in the accident.

At the sight of blood, he crumpled to the floor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The hopes of the best team most of them could remember in their lifetimes crumpled, in an instant. —Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025

The final scene, in Episode 4, which sees the Miller family feign a day of normalcy on the occasion of Eddie’s fiftieth birthday, ends with the weeping father crumpled in his son’s bed, begging his forgiveness. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025

Noun

The footage shows the killer appear relatively calm, not seeming to panic as Thompson crumples, and only breaking into a slight jog while crossing the street to leave the scene. —Niall Stanage, The Hill, 6 Dec. 2024

The Jamaican great crumples to the track with a left-leg injury while chasing a final gold medal for the Jamaican 4x100-meter relay team at the world championships in London. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English crumplen, frequentative of Middle English crumpen

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing crumple

• crumple zone
• face crumple

Kids Definition

crumple

verb

crum·​ple

ˈkrəm-pəl

crumpled; crumpling

-p(ə-)liŋ

1

: to press, bend, or crush out of shape

2

: to become crumpled

3

: collapse entry 1 sense 1