crum
ble
Third Person
crumbles
Present Participle
crumbling
Past Tense
crumbled
Past Participle
crumbled
1
(of a building) to fall apart
- After years of neglect, the old abandoned house began to crumble, its walls giving way to the elements.
- The earthquake caused the historic church to crumble, leaving behind a pile of rubble.
- Over time, the once grand castle started to crumble, its towers collapsing into ruins.
- The fire engulfed the wooden cabin, causing it to crumble under the intense heat.
- Without proper maintenance, the concrete parking garage began to crumble, posing a safety hazard to vehicles below.
Synonyms:
2
to break apart, turning into small pieces
- The cookie was so delicate that it would crumble with the slightest touch.
- As the old book was opened, its pages started to crumble into pieces.
- The cliff face began to crumble, posing a danger to the structures below.
- After baking, the bread loaf had a crust that would crumble when sliced.
Synonyms:
3
to become weak or begin to fail
- The athlete's resolve began to crumble as the race wore on, and fatigue set in.
- Under the pressure of the interview, his confidence started to crumble, and he stumbled over his words.
- The foundation of their friendship started to crumble when secrets were revealed, causing rifts between them.
- The student's concentration started to crumble as the exam approached, and he struggled to focus.
- The peace agreement between the two nations started to crumble as tensions escalated along the border.
4
to make something break up into smaller pieces
transitive
- She gently crumbled the cookie into small pieces to sprinkle over the ice cream.
- The chef crumbled the cheese over the salad, adding a delicious texture.
- He crumbled the stale bread into breadcrumbs to use as a coating for the chicken.
- She crumbled the dried leaves into compost to enrich the soil in her garden.
- He crumbled the crackers into the soup to add thickness and flavor.