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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Nearby words
crummie, crummock water, crummy, crump, crumpet, crumple, crumple zones, crumpled, crunch, crunch numbers, crunch time
Origin of crumple
Related formscrum·ply, adjectiveun·crum·pling, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples 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 Formscrumply, adjective
Word 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
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for crumple
crumple
c.1300, crumplen, frequentative of crumpen "to curl up" (from Old English crump "bent, crooked"). Related: Crumpled; crumpling.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper