crumple
[ kruhm-puh l ]
/ ˈkrʌm pəl /
verb (used with object), crum·pled, crum·pling.
to press or crush into irregular folds or into a compact mass; bend out of shape; rumple; wrinkle.
to cause to collapse or give way suddenly: That right hook to the midsection crumpled him.
verb (used without object), crum·pled, crum·pling.
to contract into wrinkles; shrink; shrivel.
to give way suddenly; collapse: The bridge crumpled under the weight of the heavy trucks.
noun
an irregular fold or wrinkle produced by crumpling.
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Origin of crumple
1400–50; late Middle English; variant of crimple
OTHER WORDS FROM crumple
crum·ply, adjectiveun·crum·pling, adjectiveWords nearby crumple
crummie, crummock water, crummy, crump, crumpet, crumple, crumple zones, crumpled, crunch, crunch numbers, crunch time
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for crumple
British Dictionary definitions for crumple
crumple
/ (ˈkrʌmpəl) /
verb
(when intr, often foll by up) to collapse or cause to collapsehis courage crumpled
(when tr, often foll by up) to crush or cause to be crushed so as to form wrinkles or creases
(intr) to shrink; shrivel
noun
a loose crease or wrinkle
Derived forms of crumple
crumply, adjectiveWord Origin for crumple
C16: from obsolete crump to bend; related to Old High German krimpfan to wrinkle, Old Norse kreppa to contract
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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