1
as in to scrunch
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in
crumpled the piece of paper and angrily threw it in the wastebasket
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2
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the box crumpled when I accidentally dropped a brick on it
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Recent Examples of crumple
At the edge of that gate, a mother crumpled forward ― her elbows pushing into the pew rail, her head in both hands.
—
Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
The girls’ mother, van Wessel told me, crumpled to the ground next to the grave sites, and had to be carried away from the scene.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
Katelyn Williams, 18, grabbed her walkie-talkie, told YMCA front-desk staffers to call 911, jumped off the lifeguard stand and ran into the locker room where Billy Austin, 64, lay crumpled in a bathroom stall.
—Laura L. Davis, The Tennessean, 21 July 2025
If a ballot isn't cast in person, as is the case with overseas ballots and absentee ballots, or may have been folded, crumpled or smeared, election workers have to take the ballot submitted and create one on the ballot paper that can be read by the vote-counting machines.
—Tom Sissom, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
The girls’ mother, van Wessel told me, crumpled to the ground next to the grave sites, and had to be carried away from the scene.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2025
Katelyn Williams, 18, grabbed her walkie-talkie, told YMCA front-desk staffers to call 911, jumped off the lifeguard stand and ran into the locker room where Billy Austin, 64, lay crumpled in a bathroom stall.
—Laura L. Davis, The Tennessean, 21 July 2025
If a ballot isn't cast in person, as is the case with overseas ballots and absentee ballots, or may have been folded, crumpled or smeared, election workers have to take the ballot submitted and create one on the ballot paper that can be read by the vote-counting machines.
—Tom Sissom, Arkansas Online, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for crumple
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumple
Verb
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Her nose scrunches up like something smells bad in here.—
Nicola Dall'Asen,
Allure,
19 Aug. 2025
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An image of his little face, scrunched in discomfort, but no sound coming from his little mouth, was instantly clear.—
Zoë Jones,
Vogue,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Brain-computer interfaces collapse the interface entirely: computation and communication merge with cognition itself.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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One of these, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, could collapse if global temperatures reach 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, raising sea levels by more than three meters, or about 10 feet.—
Matt Simon,
Wired News,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The state police photos show a typical off-campus residence – albeit a little on the unkempt side, with cases of alcohol littering the common areas, a folding table set up for beer pong, and empty cans on the floor.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Remove the pan from the heat and fold in both soups, the sour cream, corn, peas, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Just hours after Strand Larsen’s tumbling finish was followed by a towering header to turn a 2-1 deficit into a place in the third round, Wolves rejected a second bid worth £55million ($74m) for the giant No 9.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
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In mid-May, at about ten thousand feet above sea level, a rocky mountainside in the Swiss Alps gave way and tumbled onto a field of ice called the Birch Glacier.—
Daniel A. Gross,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The slim fit of these long sleeves is perfect for tucking into bottoms, and the super-soft, stretchy fabric won’t wrinkle easily when folded into your travel bag.—
Amber Cardullo,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Aug. 2025
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Made of a soft Tencel material that doesn’t wrinkle, this dress is a versatile closet staple; dress it up with heels and jewelry, or keep it casual with sneakers and a sweater.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
People.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Crumple.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumple. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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