crumpled

American  

[kruhm-puhld] / ˈkrʌm pəld /

adjective

1. rumpled; wrinkled; crushed.

2. bent in a spiral curve.

   a crumpled ram's horn.

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Other Word Forms

• uncrumpled adjective

Etymology

Origin of crumpled

1275–1325; Middle English; variant of crimpled, past participle of crimple

Example Sentences

Colbert took a paper copy with the CBS statement, crumpled it, and put it in a plastic bag typically used to collect dog feces.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Greyparrot’s analyzers were shown recyclables thousands of times, in conditions ranging from crumpled to perfectly intact, until the computers could recognize materials, said Mikela Druckman, the U.K. firm’s chief executive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

"No student should have to rifle through drawers looking for a crumpled certificate when they're preparing for a job interview," Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

Buildings in Whitehouse were destroyed or crumpled, with corrugated roofs strewn across the ground.

From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025

By now, the paper was probably crumpled up and hard to read.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith