to crumple
Third Person
crumples
Present Participle
crumpling
Past Tense
crumpled
Past Participle
crumpled
1
to collapse or disintegrate suddenly and completely
- The old bridge crumpled under the weight of the heavy truck, sending debris tumbling into the river below.
- As the storm intensified, the tent poles began to bend, and the shelter eventually crumpled in the strong winds.
- With a loud crash, the poorly constructed wall crumpled, revealing the shoddy workmanship underneath.
- Under the relentless pressure of the opposing team, the defense eventually crumpled, leading to a goal.
- Despite its sturdy appearance, the metal frame of the car crumpled upon impact with the tree.
Synonyms:
2
to crush, fold, or wrinkle something, resulting in irregular and uneven creases
transitive
- She crumpled the piece of paper in her hand, unable to contain her frustration.
- The strong wind crumpled the umbrella, rendering it useless against the storm.
- He crumpled the napkin and used it to wipe the spill from the table.
- The weight of the textbooks crumpled the paper bag, tearing it at the seams.
- In a fit of anger, he crumpled the letter and threw it across the room.
3
to wrinkle the face due to intense emotions or age-related changes
- Upon hearing the sad news, she couldn't hold back her tears, causing her face to crumple with grief.
- When he received the disappointing news, his face visibly crumpled in a mix of surprise and disappointment.
- The comedian's exaggerated expression caused the audience to crumple with laughter.
- The child's face crumpled with frustration when the tower of blocks collapsed.
- Years of laughter and sun exposure had caused her once-smooth skin to crumple with fine lines.
4
to collapse or fall suddenly and heavily, often due to exhaustion, injury, or emotional distress
- After running the marathon, he crumpled to the ground, utterly exhausted.
- Overwhelmed by grief, she crumpled onto the couch, unable to hold back her tears.
- The football player crumpled to the turf after a hard tackle, clutching his injured knee.
- Seeing the accident unfold before her eyes, she crumpled to the ground in shock.
- The elderly man crumpled to the sidewalk, clutching his chest in the midst of a heart attack.
Synonyms:
5
to become wrinkled with irregular and uneven folds
- The paper crumpled in his hand as he squeezed it tightly in frustration.
- The old map crumpled in the wind, its edges flapping wildly as it unfolded.
- As she sat down, the dress crumpled around her.
- The aluminum foil crumpled as he balled it up after wrapping leftovers.
- The fallen leaves crumpled underfoot as they walked through the autumn forest.