COLLAPSES Synonyms: 138 Similar and Opposite Words

collapses 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of collapse

as in tumbles

to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure the motel balcony collapsed under the weight of so many people

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fails

to be unsuccessful the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in compresses

to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together the novel collapses events from four separate trips into one long odyssey

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collapses

2 of 2

noun

plural of collapse

as in defeats

a falling short of one's goals the complete collapse of the invasion set off a round of finger-pointing and recrimination

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of collapses

Verb

Measuring a quantum state typically collapses it, forcing it into one of two possible answers. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 The arc of this feud is now well known to all and will no doubt be shaped into the epic poetry our descendants recite in front of bonfires long after our civilization collapses. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 His status collapses overnight when a strange virus called Heterosis begins converting gay men to heterosexuality. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 Speed without a foundation collapses, and attention in a crowded market fades fast, but trust endures; and trust is exactly what this channel builds. — Joel Goldstein, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Macron's political center collapses For Feigenbaum, the long-term roots of the crisis lie in Macron's political legacy. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Rapid Growth That Doesn’t Last A quick burst of bright green growth might seem like success, but if your lawn suddenly looks lush and then collapses or thins out, something is off. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2026 Emmanuel Marre | Belgium | 155 min Cannes Best Screenplay winner A MAN OF HIS TIME stars ANATOMY OF A FALL’s Swann Arlaud as a Vichy civil servant whose faith in government collapses amid collaboration, bureaucracy, and moral surrender. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026 Single-pressing the button collapses the view to show only the arrow and distance to the next turn, while double-pressing the button expands the view to show a map with the full route across the bottom half of the display. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 28 Sep. 2026

Noun

Here, any distinction between spa and safari collapses, and the outdoors and wellness weave together. — Adrienne Matei, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026 If drugstore brands follow prestige lines into oil-in-serum formulations, the two-step routine collapses into one. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026 Last year, the Giants were losing those one-score games and having their fans in a whirlwind of emotions with late-game collapses. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026 Pasticceria Italia, a popular Italian bakery, shut down last winter after suffering two ceiling collapses from water leaks in two winters followed by vandalism damage. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026 What to do in an earthquake Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause structural collapses and landslides. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026 But as the cost of producing a unit of intelligence collapses, the amount businesses consume is exploding. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 Deadly mine collapses in Sudan, a gold producing country, aren’t uncommon where safety standards aren’t widely applied. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026 Wilson also traces notable instances of building fiascos around New York, like awning collapses and the troubled history of 432 Park, the supertall on Billionaire’s Row. — Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapses

Verb

From trashing bedrooms and throwing couches, the pair tumbles down stairs and has a chase across the lawn before ending up in the pool.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Front load washers are built with a horizontal drum that tumbles the clothes in each cycle.

— Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of tumbles

Verb

If the upcoming winter fails to deliver a banner snow season, recovering from the drought could take longer.

— Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
The graph also fails to account for bigger developments in Russia’s diesel industry related to the strikes.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of fails

Verb

Deal teams that prepare before a potential transaction (something my company has created a checklist for) can gain an advantage as technology compresses timelines.

— Rusty Wiley, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Much like an engine compresses fuel before ignition, FLARE first assembles the fuel to high density before delivering a separate, rapid burst of energy to trigger fusion.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of compresses

Verb

In Whalefall, written and directed by Brian Duffield, Jay (Abrams) goes diving in the Pacific Ocean to find the remains of his late father Mitt (Josh Brolin), who took his own life a year before amid a terminal illness.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Based on Greaves’ short story, One Night Out centers on a married couple who head out to enjoy a rare date night when their babysitter goes missing.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of goes

Verb

In Bait, Ahmed stars as struggling actor Shah Latif, who flops in his audition to play James Bond and then becomes consumed by the quest to become the first Pakistani 007.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Starter addition flops Last season’s trade deadline wound up being a big flop.

— Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of flops

Verb

Paraphrasing generally restates the original information in different language while retaining the key ideas, whereas summarizing condenses the information into a shorter version.

— Ethan Stone, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Headway condenses nonfiction and fiction books into 15-minute summaries that make key ideas easier to fit into your schedule.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of condenses

Noun

The question confronting Israel and its international partners is not simply whether money should flow into Gaza, but also who controls it—and whether the next arrangement will avoid the failures of the last.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
The author argued that the unrest reflected deeper failures by France’s political establishment.

— Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of failures

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“Collapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapses. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of collapses

verb

noun

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