1
as in to tumble
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the motel balcony collapsed under the weight of so many people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fail
to be unsuccessful
the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to compress
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
the novel collapses events from four separate trips into one long odyssey
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in exhaustion
a complete depletion of energy or strength
suffered a mental collapse under the strain of studying for his bar exam
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defeat
a falling short of one's goals
the complete collapse of the invasion set off a round of finger-pointing and recrimination
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapse
Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2025
When the dam collapsed, his home was in the way of the floodwater.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Wasting their playoff standing, holding the top National League wild-card spot by a game over the San Diego Padres, would be an especially painful collapse given how well the Cubs played the first three months.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
White dwarfs are the dense remnants of stars like our sun that have exhausted their fuel supplies and collapsed into Earth-size objects.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2025
When the dam collapsed, his home was in the way of the floodwater.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
The German collapse in April 1945 allowed the Americans to survive.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Wasting their playoff standing, holding the top National League wild-card spot by a game over the San Diego Padres, would be an especially painful collapse given how well the Cubs played the first three months.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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CrowdStrike: Investors should consider buying CrowdStrike as shares tumble due to a broad slump in the cybersecurity sector.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
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The man tumbled hundreds of feet down the mountain, suffering cuts, scrapes, bruises and a leg injury that left him unable to move, rangers said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The argument has strengthened that disasters, even natural ones, are manmade if society fails to prevent them, and this view has been championed through campaigns such as #NoNaturalDisasters.—
Chloe Demrovsky,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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According to the memo, a preliminary investigation concluded that a woman, driving a BMW SUV, failed to yield when turning left, resulting in a collision with Hinds.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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With dry powder and capital commitments accelerating, competition has intensified — spreads are compressing, and investors are asking: Where does the real edge come from now?—
Rocio Wu,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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Made by compressing wool fibers using only soap, water, and friction, the material doesn’t just keep you warm in the winter.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Overworking can actually lead to diminishing returns, where exhaustion causes mistakes and reduces efficiency.—
Kent Ingle,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, common symptoms of Valley fever include: Cough Fever Pain in the chest Fatigue or a constant feeling of exhaustion Who is most at risk for Valley fever? Valley fever gets its name from California’s San Joaquin Valley.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Fuller’s book Yoga was still being reissued decades after the military defeat of Nazism.—
Stewart Home
August 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
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The defeats also served as reminders that McLean may have to pitch twice every five days in order to provide the boost the Mets’ rotation needs — and that the former two-way star might also have to find his way into a lineup that’s growing leaner by the day.—
Jerry Beach,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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George Springer helped lead Toronto’s offense, going 3 for 6 with a solo homer, a double and an RBI single.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Aug. 2025
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Peter Aiken/Getty Images Footage of the incident has since gone viral and circulated online, drawing widespread attention and sparking discussion among fans and analysts around the team and its players.—
Cecil Merkerson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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One more common mistake: Fertilizing your lavender, which can result in overly leggy lavender that flops over.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
21 Aug. 2025
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Fisher flopped at Texas A&M and walked away with the largest buyout in college football history — $77.5 million — without ever even reaching the College Football Playoff while in College Station.—
Chase Goodbread,
The Tennessean,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ewers was impressive finding A.J. Henning on one throw and squeezed a pass into a tight window to running back Ollie Gordon II.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
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To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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