crumble
verb (used with object)
to break into small fragments or crumbs.
crumbled
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past participleof crumble.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof crumble.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
crumbleverb (used with object)to break into small fragments or crumbs.
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.
The powerful surf exacerbated by the morning's high tide slammed into coastal communities, including Long Beach, where signficiant sections of the boardwalk crumbled under the pounding waves and several homes suffered serious structural damage.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The planters are original to the stadium’s 1962 construction, and many had crumbled badly enough over the decades to need painstaking repair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
The Swedish American Investment Corp. put most of its assets under the sway of Ivar Kreuger, an aggressive dealmaker who later died in an apparent suicide after his business empire crumbled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
At her previous tournament in Toronto, she lost to Russian world number 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16 as her serve crumbled.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Nothing but hot, black, bare ground and delicate white filaments of ash, which stirred and crumbled under the trample of bare feet.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
