crumble

American  

[kruhm-buhl] / ˈkrʌm bəl /

verb (used with object)

crumbled, crumbling

1. to break into small fragments or crumbs.

   Synonyms:

   shatter, mash

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verb (used without object)

crumbled, crumbling

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 British  

/ ˈkrʌmbəl /

verb

1. to break or be broken into crumbs or fragments

2. (intr) to fall apart or away

   his resolution crumbled

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noun

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

   apple crumble

crumble Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• crumblingness noun
• half-crumbled adjective
• uncrumbled adjective

Etymology

Origin of crumble

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

Example Sentences

In fact, tailwinds from 2025 are becoming headwinds, as energy prices climb and the K-shaped recovery starts to crumble: “Paper-rich consumers supported spending by running down savings, however this is already dissipating,’ Carroll writes.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Institutions don’t crumble overnight, and they certainly don’t collapse from the top.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

The gambit was meant to speed the agency’s approval should the Netflix deal crumble.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Now they are watching the future of that partnership crumble.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

To be surrounded by hundreds was enough to make one crumble.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• break up
• collapse
• crush
• decay
• degenerate
• deteriorate
• disintegrate
• dissolve
• grind
• tumble