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View synonyms for crumble

crumble

[ kruhm-buhl ]

verb (used with object)

, crum·bled, crum·bling.
  1. to break into small fragments or crumbs.

    Synonyms: shatter, mash



verb (used without object)

, crum·bled, crum·bling.
  1. to fall into small pieces; break or part into small fragments.

    Synonyms: disintegrate

  2. to decay or disintegrate gradually:

    The ancient walls had crumbled.

noun

  1. a crumbly or crumbled substance.
  2. crumbles, bits of crisp bacon, bread, etc., added to other foods, especially as a topping.
  3. British Dialect. crumb; particle; fragment.

crumble

/ ˈkrʌmbəl /

verb

  1. to break or be broken into crumbs or fragments
  2. intr to fall apart or away

    his resolution crumbled

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. a baked pudding consisting of a crumbly mixture of flour, fat, and sugar over stewed fruit

    apple crumble

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • crumbling·ness noun
  • half-crumbled adjective
  • un·crumbled adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crumble1

1375–1425; earlier crymble, crimble; late Middle English kremelen, akin to crome crumb; -le
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crumble1

C16: variant of crimble, of Germanic origin; compare Low German krömeln, Dutch kruimelen
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Idioms and Phrases

see that's how the ball bounces (cookie crumbles) .
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Example Sentences

You could turn the cherries into a crisp or crumble, but for Beranbaum, a crunchy brown sugary topping isn’t nearly as good as a tender pie crust.

Their skillets are perfect for any number of kitchen tasks whether you’re frying chicken, searing a steak or making a crumble.

From Time

Bake oats into muffins and bread, or incorporate them into a crisp or crumble topping.

Rather than the traditional whole walnut to decorate the center of the cookie, I’ve gone with a crave-worthy crumble of walnuts, coconut and brown sugar, laced with five-spice powder.

If you want to simplify this recipe, you can simply add a whole walnut to the center, in place of the crumble.

It's about the delicate fabric of the universe and how our fragile insides crumble when that fabric is torn.

There is no better thing on a Sunday afternoon than a fruity, molten, crunchy crumble.

But the illusions of peace and tranquility soon crumble around them like a patch of freshly laid snow.

But, Ali warns all that can change quickly if Anbar continues to crumble, “right now, we are looking into the Abyss.”

For such a source of outward joy to crumble so violently, what the hell happened?

The self-centred, confident man in him that deemed itself indispensable must crumble.

Perhaps he was rather doing one of those useless and splendid things that alone among man's contrivances do not crumble and fall.

Remember that it is uncertain as to size and that the walls are liable to crumble.

The luxury of Broadwood would have to crumble: his mind was very clear about that.

Only when the radiance became dim did the mass grow cold and crumble in pieces which retained but the semblance of a spark.

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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.

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