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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fail
to be unsuccessful
the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence
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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of collapse
Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Rescuers retrieved eight people alive and were searching for the missing still trapped after a huge mound of garbage and debris collapsed on them in the village of Binaliw in Cebu city, police said.
—CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Babak Dehghanpisheh, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
As that tension escalates, battles — between good and evil, fantasy and reality, collapse and triumph — ensue.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for collapse
Verb
The soil is collapsing, leaving something resembling large puddles among the freshwater marshes.
—Noun
The protests started in the heart of the capital over the collapse of Iran's currency and soaring prices.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse
Verb
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The footage shows Kim tumbling hard onto the snow and sliding across the halfpipe.—
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Seagate, fresh off a 14% jump, tumbled about 8% in Wednesday’s trading.—
Verb
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If the settlement failed to cover the amount owed, some funders went after the women for the remainder.—
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Owner Mark Davis has failed for years to find answers, and this time around, Tom Brady appears to be taking control of the rebuild.—
Verb
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The ability of the sponge to compress means that over time the rug will weigh down the edges and prevent the rug from looking like it’s raised up onto a surface.—
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Las Vegas has compressed a short stretch of the Strip into a luxury gauntlet that’ll wreck your step count and your credit limit in the same afternoon.—
Noun
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There are no speakers in the songs of MJ Lenderman other than MJ Lenderman, whose diffidence and exhaustion are in all-too-perfect lockstep with the psychic frustrations of his listeners.—
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This round of protests feels different from prior ones because of a sense of frustration and exhaustion among people in Iran, said Dina Esfandiary, Middle East lead for Bloomberg Economics.—
Noun
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In just a number of months, voters will head to the polls for midterms, the first nationwide test for Democrats following their across the board defeat in 2024, itself partly due to perceptions that the party was too far to the left.—
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Advertisement But vulnerability isn’t the same as defeat.—
Verb
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The Kings went into the halftime break with a 58-46 lead and a 22-5 advantage in fastbreak points.—
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While strolling in New York City, Katie Holmes went for a casual vibe in baggy black jeans with a light jacket and a crossbody bag, while Jennifer Garner's pair had a touch of subtle elegance with gold-tone hardware.—
Verb
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In the video, the mako shark bursts from the water and lands on the bow of the boat, flopping around before coming to rest near the front of the vessel.—
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Lawrence has been open in past interviews about needing to take a two year break from Hollywood after making 16 movies in six years, a string of which flopped at the box office and only inflamed the public’s negative reception of her.—
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Cite this Entry
“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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