crumble

[kruhm-buh l]

See more synonyms for crumble on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), crum·bled, crum·bling.

to break into small fragments or crumbs.

verb (used without object), crum·bled, crum·bling.

to fall into small pieces; break or part into small fragments.
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.

Origin of crumble

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

Related formscrum·bling·ness, nounhalf-crum·bled, adjectiveun·crum·bled, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for crumble on Thesaurus.com

1. mash, shatter. 2. disintegrate.

crumblings

[kruhm-blingz]

plural noun

crumbs; crumbled bits.

Origin of crumblings

crumble + -ing¹ + -s³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for crumbling

Contemporary Examples

Along the river, crumbling remnants of an active trading hub are overtaken by nature.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway
Nina Strochlic
December 18, 2014
Next, the GOP should hammer away at how our roads, bridges, and tunnels are crumbling, and push for an infrastructure initiative.
Bush, Christie, Romney: Who’ll Be the GOP Class Warrior?
Lloyd Green
December 15, 2014
For anyone who cared to watch, the event and its denouement provided a graphic demonstration that the Iron Curtain was crumbling.
How Havel Inspired the Velvet Revolution
Michael Zantovsky
December 6, 2014
Particularly with Legolas and the scene where he climbs up a crumbling tower.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth
Alex Suskind
December 4, 2014
In a bedroom at the top of crumbling stairs, a bed was made up with a comforter.
Gary, Indiana Is a Serial Killer’s Playground
Justin Glawe
October 22, 2014

Historical Examples

Mauburn felt the rock foundations of Manhattan Island to be crumbling to dust.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
And in the immediate foreground were the tumbled, crumbling memorials of the dead.
Galusha the Magnificent
Joseph C. Lincoln
Comfort was the apex of the pyramid which is now crumbling away.
England and Germany
Emile Joseph Dillon
The masonry of the greater part of the wall was old and crumbling.
At Aboukir and Acre
George Alfred Henty
The air was filled with smoke and dust from the crumbling plaster.
Fighting in France
Ross Kay

British Dictionary definitions for crumbling

crumble

verb

to break or be broken into crumbs or fragments
(intr) to fall apart or awayhis resolution crumbled

noun

British a baked pudding consisting of a crumbly mixture of flour, fat, and sugar over stewed fruitapple crumble

Word Origin

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

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

Word Origin and History for crumbling

crumble

v.

late 15c., kremelen, from Old English *crymelan, presumed frequentative of gecrymman "to break into crumbs," from cruma (see crumb). The -b- is 16c., probably on analogy of French-derived words like humble, where it belongs, or by influence of crumb. Related: Crumbled; crumbling.

Idioms and Phrases with crumbling

crumble

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

crumble

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}crumble

Synonyms

crumblings

Origin of crumblings

Examples from the Web for crumbling

Contemporary Examples

Along the river, crumbling remnants of an active trading hub are overtaken by nature.

Next, the GOP should hammer away at how our roads, bridges, and tunnels are crumbling, and push for an infrastructure initiative.

For anyone who cared to watch, the event and its denouement provided a graphic demonstration that the Iron Curtain was crumbling.

Particularly with Legolas and the scene where he climbs up a crumbling tower.

In a bedroom at the top of crumbling stairs, a bed was made up with a comforter.

Historical Examples

Mauburn felt the rock foundations of Manhattan Island to be crumbling to dust.

And in the immediate foreground were the tumbled, crumbling memorials of the dead.

Comfort was the apex of the pyramid which is now crumbling away.

The masonry of the greater part of the wall was old and crumbling.

The air was filled with smoke and dust from the crumbling plaster.

crumble

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for crumbling

crumble

v.

Idioms and Phrases with crumbling

crumble

Origin of crumble