crumple

1 of 2

verb

crum·​ple ˈkrəm-pəl How to pronounce crumple (audio)
crumpled; crumpling ˈkrəm-p(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce crumple (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to press, bend, or crush out of shape : rumple
2
: to cause to collapse

intransitive verb

1
: to become crumpled
2

crumple

2 of 2

noun

: a wrinkle or crease made by crumpling
crumply adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The first bullet sent Thompson, 50, crumpling to the sidewalk. Ellen Moynihan, Twin Cities, 8 Dec. 2024 The attack stripped the facades from some nearby buildings and crumpled cars. Abby Sewell and Bassem Mroue The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 24 Nov. 2024
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 See all Example Sentences for crumple 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of crumple was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near crumple

Cite this Entry

“Crumple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crumple. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on crumple

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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