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

By now, the episode is a montage: Trump crumples to the floor and is dragged away by Secret Service officers, who have arrived too late to stop the shooting but soon enough to cover the former President’s body. —Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024

The tree mostly missed the house, but still crumpled part of a metal porch and damaged the roof. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2024

Noun

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

Unlike the Earth, our celestial companion lacks plate tectonics, so its brittle crust crumples into unstable ridges called thrust faults to accommodate its dwindling volume. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 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