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

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."

Example Sentences

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

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

The subscription revenue model pioneered by cloud software would crumble, replaced by a consumption-based one that favors AI start-ups, chip companies, and cloud-computing hyperscalers.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Although Vitinha did put the hosts in front, just a few minutes later, Newcastle did not crumble, even after such a shaky start.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

The doorway behind her was blocked, but in theory, if the room started to collapse, those bricks should weaken and crumble.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

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