collapse
verb (used without object)
to fall or cave in; crumble suddenly.
was collapsing
-
past progressiveof collapse.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
When the act was passed, the Vietnam War was unwinding, and Richard Nixon’s presidency was collapsing in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
Known to posterity as “Stobaeus,” he lived in a time of turbulence, when “the Roman Empire was collapsing in the West but holding up better in the Greek-speaking East.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
She was working 12 hours a day, going through a host of changes: Her marriage was collapsing, she was about to have an empty nest and was about to turn 40.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
Probably the only thing that would worry investors is if it looked like the labor market was collapsing — an outcome hardly anyone predicts.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 15, 2025
While French soldiers engaged in “acts of collective indiscipline,” as their commanders preferred to say, the Russian army was collapsing and Russia itself was in turmoil.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
