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
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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
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
The Friday meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump collapsed into a chaotic three-way shouting match − in front of TV cameras − that also included Vice President JD Vance.
—Davis Winkie, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
The collapse of the star's core triggers a subsequent rebounding and explosion of material in the star's outer layers, from which new stars form.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
They are devastated by what has happened, and terrified of what could happen if the current ceasefire collapses and the war and bombing resumes.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
The Friday meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump collapsed into a chaotic three-way shouting match − in front of TV cameras − that also included Vice President JD Vance.
—Davis Winkie, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2025
Noun
From fully locked in and comfortably ahead to being on the verge of collapse.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
The collapse of the star's core triggers a subsequent rebounding and explosion of material in the star's outer layers, from which new stars form.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s whiskey, tumbled 5.1%, and Harley-Davidson sank 5.7%.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Sunrun — Shares of the residential solar energy tumbled about 7%.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Starship rocket also failed minutes after launching from SpaceX's Texas facility in January, with falling debris causing damage to properties on the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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Despite being aware of the cellmate’s dangerous behavior, staff failed to intervene, according to a lawsuit.—
Stories by Real-Time News team, with AI summarization,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Short bursts around the black hole are likely caused by disturbances in the disk—compressing plasma to produce a temporary flash of radiation.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
6 Mar. 2025
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In court, his lawyers argued that officers compressed his chest with their body weight, leading him to asphyxiate.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacramento Bee,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While the world continues around them, parents of children with life-threatening illnesses experience profound exhaustion, fear, and anxiety.—
Friends of Karen,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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In a time of intense polarization, voters in municipal elections that were held Tuesday around the Chicago area showed encouraging signs of exhaustion with politicians’ drama.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Russian cartoons cast him as Napoleon Bonaparte riding towards defeat in Russia in 1812.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Arsenal has now won five Champions League games in a row, a run stretching back to November’s 1-0 defeat against Inter Milan.—
George Ramsay,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There are plenty of non-maternity options on the market that could work around a bump: any of the looser silhouettes or anything with an elastic or tie waistband could easily go below a bump and continue to inch further down as the months go on.—
Hayley Bloomingdale,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2025
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Trump himself has gone all in on the crypto industry of late—even releasing his own memecoin, $TRUMP.—
Ben Walsh,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
If Dune: Part One flopped, there would be no sequel.—
AJ Thomas,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Firestarter was originally supposed to be directed by John Carpenter, but the studio rejected him because The Thing had flopped.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Tension headaches are the most common type, and can feel like a band is squeezing your forehead, with pain extending to your scalp and neck, per the US National Library of Medicine.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
13 Mar. 2025
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Instead of mechanical rollers, this mask uses inflating and deflating mechanisms to gently squeeze around your eyes and temples, creating a rhythmic, pulse-like massage.—
Siena Gagliano,
Allure,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.
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