crumble
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to fall into small pieces; break or part into small fragments.
- Synonyms:
- disintegrate
-
to decay or disintegrate gradually.
The ancient walls had crumbled.
noun
-
a crumbly or crumbled substance.
-
crumbles, bits of crisp bacon, bread, etc., added to other foods, especially as a topping.
-
British Dialect. crumb; particle; fragment.
verb
-
to break or be broken into crumbs or fragments
-
(intr) to fall apart or away
his resolution crumbled
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have crumbledperfect
-
has crumbledperfect 3rd person singular
-
am crumblingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been crumblingperfect progressive
-
are crumblingprogressive
-
is crumblingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been crumblingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
crumblessingular 3rd person
-
crumblingparticiple
Past
-
had crumbledperfect
-
had been crumblingperfect progressive
-
were crumblingprogressive plural
-
was crumblingprogressive singular
-
crumbledsimple
-
crumbledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of crumble
1375–1425; earlier crymble, crimble; late Middle English kremelen, akin to crome crumb; see -le
Explanation
To crumble is to come apart into tiny pieces. If the doughnuts you bring to work crumble before you get there, you co-workers will have nothing but crumbs to snack on. Baked goods seem to crumble easily, but other things tend to crumble too: old houses, over time; sand castles; fragile ruins; and art objects made from clay. Anything that falls apart, especially into small bits, can be said to crumble. The root of the word is the Old English gecrymman, "to break into crumbs," which in turn comes from cruma, "crumb or fragment."
Vocabulary lists containing crumble
Bud, Not Buddy
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Going Down: Synonyms for "Fall"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That’s reductive — the cookie doesn’t crumble quite so.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
But feminists should not be cowed — and not just because this case, a version of which was already litigated in Carroll’s favor, is likely to crumble in court.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
So, the SPX chart remains bullish, and we’ll see if the recent sell signals crumble in the face of yet another rally or if they can hold their position.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
The evidence suggests that extreme heating from the Sun is cracking the asteroid's surface, releasing trapped gases and causing the body to slowly crumble apart.
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
He felt so well, so close to perfect companionship, that he thought of no other refuge on the afternoon on which Amaranta Úrsula had made his illusions crumble.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
