crumble
Americanverb (used with object)
-
crumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crumbled,
past participle, past
-
crumbling
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
crumbles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crumbled,
past participle, past
-
crumbling
present participle
-
to fall into small pieces; break or part into small fragments.
- Synonyms:
- disintegrate
-
to decay or disintegrate gradually.
The ancient walls had crumbled.
noun
-
crumbles
plural
-
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.
verb
-
to break or be broken into crumbs or fragments
-
(intr) to fall apart or away
his resolution crumbled
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
crumblesimple
-
crumblessimple
-
have crumbledperfect
-
has crumbledperfect
-
am crumblingprogressive
-
are crumblingprogressive
-
is crumblingprogressive
-
have been crumblingperfect progressive
-
has been crumblingperfect progressive
Past
-
crumbledsimple
-
had crumbledperfect
-
was crumblingprogressive
-
were crumblingprogressive
-
had been crumblingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of crumble
1375–1425; earlier crymble, crimble; late Middle English kremelen, akin to crome crumb; see -le
Explanation
To crumble is to come apart into tiny pieces. If the doughnuts you bring to work crumble before you get there, you co-workers will have nothing but crumbs to snack on. Baked goods seem to crumble easily, but other things tend to crumble too: old houses, over time; sand castles; fragile ruins; and art objects made from clay. Anything that falls apart, especially into small bits, can be said to crumble. The root of the word is the Old English gecrymman, "to break into crumbs," which in turn comes from cruma, "crumb or fragment."
Vocabulary lists containing crumble
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Perhaps inevitably, someone dug them up, handed them to a tabloid and waited for the man to crumble.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
In effect, say critics, those cases tend to crumble unless a prosecutor can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a victim was unconscious—and, therefore, “physically helpless” and unable to communicate—not just stumbling drunk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
His photographs capture not only the movie houses but their ornate facades and decay -- a record of a cultural landscape disappearing as cinemas are demolished, converted into multiplexes or left to crumble.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Seiler wanted to know whether researchers could recover writing from these carbonized scrolls without physically unrolling them, an action that could cause the brittle papyrus to crumble into black dust.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Jack watched JonJon’s dreams crumble and couldn’t do anything about it, even with proof of his big bro’s innocence.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
As sentiment about AI crumbles, Klement said the stock market could fall about 35% — hence his 5,000 target for the S&P 500.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
But any debate over female filmmakers in genre cinema crumbles under the considerable evidence and attendant indignation to be found in “1000 Women in Horror.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
And that brings us to another issue - the lack of a plan B if the line crumbles again.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
For an indulgent breakfast option, she suggests making a tiramisu chia seed pudding with freshly-brewed espresso, oat milk, chia seeds, granola crumbles and a cacao dusting.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2026
I touch The ash, and the snake crumbles And won’t bite.
From "Neighborhood Odes" by Gary Soto
"It's obvious to us now. Her entire life was a lie. She has fabricated pretty much her entire life, her entire personality. It just crumbled in an instant."
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Sri Lanka lost two wickets without a run on the board and crumbled to 45 all out in less than 10 overs of chaos that included three run-outs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Sri Lanka crumbled to 132 all out in 29.1 overs, giving England a 223-run win and their biggest ODI victory against the tourists.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
One source familiar with the negotiations said the states had four separate votes against settling on Sunday, but the resistance eventually crumbled with word that the WGA was backing out of the fight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Grass and dirt crumbled aside and there was the robot, standing tall, pointing the rifle at the wolf leader.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Should they enact policies to preserve crumbling homes and keep rents down?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
The reason for the veteran manager's upbeat vibe was because of his players' response after crumbling in the first half of their Europa League loss to Benfica.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
France's student protests are fuelled by a range of grievances, from unreplaced teachers and crumbling buildings to broader inequalities in accessing a good education.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
Swarms of selfie-stick wielding tourists pose for pictures among crumbling buildings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
She looks like she is crumbling inward, caving like a terrible weight is pressing on her.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
