crumple

American  

[kruhm-puhl] / ˈkrʌm pəl /

verb (used with object)

crumpled, crumpling

1. to press or crush into irregular folds or into a compact mass; bend out of shape; rumple; wrinkle.

2. to cause to collapse or give way suddenly.

   That right hook to the midsection crumpled him.

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verb (used without object)

crumpled, crumpling

1. to contract into wrinkles; shrink; shrivel.

2. to give way suddenly; collapse.

   The bridge crumpled under the weight of the heavy trucks.

noun

1. an irregular fold or wrinkle produced by crumpling.

crumple British  

/ ˈkrʌmpəl /

verb

1. to collapse or cause to collapse

   his courage crumpled

2. to crush or cause to be crushed so as to form wrinkles or creases

3. (intr) to shrink; shrivel

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noun

1. a loose crease or wrinkle

Other Word Forms

• crumply adjective
• uncrumpling adjective

Etymology

Origin of crumple

1400–50; late Middle English; variant of crimple

Explanation

Crumple is a verb that means to become wrinkled or creased. Your face might crumple over time as you age, or you might crumple a piece of paper before tossing it in the trash. Crumple comes from the Old English word crump meaning "bent, crooked," and it can describe something that has buckled or collapsed. If you're jumping up and down on a cardboard box, it'll eventually crumple under your weight and fold in on itself. Make sure you don't confuse crumple with the similar looking crumble, which means to break apart into small fragments. If you crumple something, it stays in one piece — it's just wrinkled or folded.

Example Sentences

To wrap a basketball, for example, you’d need to crumple the paper in a horrible mess or cut many pieces and tape them together with unsightly overlaps.

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026

His adversaries think he’ll crumple like yesterday’s broadsheet when they turn him away, and are perturbed to realize he’s more like the human equivalent of tissue hanging onto the heel of a shoe.

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2025

The close-ups of their faces, as they crumple or freeze in the act of realization, are devastating, and not just for those undersold at $1.

From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2024

Emergency alert systems that crumple when needed most.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2023

I stare at a blank piece of paper until I crumple it into a ball and stuff it beneath my textbook.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Related Words

• break down
• buckle
• crush
• scrunch