cratered

verb

past tense of crater
1
as in collapsed
to be unsuccessful a time when businesses were cratering left and right

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fell
to go to a lower level especially abruptly the stock price cratered when the company filed for Chapter 11

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cratered
  1. collapsed
  2. fell
  3. flopped
  4. plunged
  5. failed
  6. tumbled
  7. folded
  8. dipped
Verb
  • Ryder’s Law was reintroduced this year after another carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park, and in a separate incident, tourist Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after falling off a carriage after the operator lost control.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In Peru, the world’s largest catcher of anchovies, the fishing industry collapsed after the tiny baitfish abandoned the country’s waters for cooler northern climes.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapsed
Verb
  • Griess, the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the 430 trees that were felled were not identified as hazardous or raising safety concerns.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Yet trees that took a millennium to grow can be felled in under an hour.
    — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of fell
Verb
  • The notorious Grand Theft Auto 6 leaker seems to be hitting pause after the group’s newest effort to rake in funds appears to have flopped.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Meta’s previous efforts in this space and its big bet on the metaverse have largely flopped, but the company is convinced things will be different this time.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of flopped
Verb
  • Oracle, a heavy borrower, dropped 9% on Wednesday and is now down 33% for the year while neocloud CoreWeave plunged 15%, wiping out its gains for 2026.
    — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Scores in reading comprehension and mathematics have plunged, according to the latest PISA report, which evaluates students worldwide.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of plunged
Verb
  • Several lawmakers tried to crack down on immigration during the 2026 legislative session, but all but one bill failed to cross the finish line.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Stevenson set about interviewing locals about why the mine had failed.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of failed
Verb
  • Fox Factory — The vehicle suspension maker tumbled 9% after CEO Mike Dennison stepped down from his role.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Justin Jefferson somehow separated enough from the triple coverage that converged at the apex of his route, leaped to snag the ball with both hands, tapped both feet on the turf, and tumbled backward to put the Vikings in front.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of tumbled
Verb
  • After a weak showing in Iowa, Ramaswamy ended his campaign and quickly folded into the broader MAGA-verse.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The tables were draped in salmon-pink tablecloths and ringed with bright red chairs, and each plate had a napkin folded into a swan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of folded
Verb
  • Before giving up law completely, Ponder still dipped her toes in the craft, pulling double duty as a trial lawyer by day and moonlighting in projects like Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People by night.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Wells Fargo shares dipped 2% Tuesday after the bank reported mixed third-quarter results.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dipped
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.

Browse Nearby Words

crater
cratered
cratering
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All