crumbling 1 of 2

noun

as in disintegration

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crumbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of crumble
as in deteriorating
to become worse or of less value the stock of the energy company crumbled after the revelations of fraud and mismanagement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 crumbling
Noun
Besides preventing mold and mildew, cleaning will also reduce unpleasant odors and prevent cracking and crumbling of your seal. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026 The rest of the world is watching the crumbling of America’s economic relationship with its closest trading partner, and an administration that is calling into question the sanctity of free trade agreements generally. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 Biting into it feels tectonic, cracking and flaking and crumbling, the gravity of umami keeping it all together. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026 But advocates like VanDiver said the letters, alongside the crumbling of other programs like Temporary Protected Status and immigration application pauses, cause confusion and fear. — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026 Putin and his Kremlin oligarchs have confidently anticipated a crumbling of Western assistance for Ukraine. — Ihor N. Stelmach, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026 There is so much discussion about the demise of literacy and the crumbling of the American education system. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 July 2026 The crumbling of Platner’s campaign forced a reckoning for his most loyal backers. — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026 York said Republicans still need the president’s leadership in the midterm elections and cannot rely on the Democratic Party crumbling. — Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026
Verb
The energy crisis coupled with crumbling infrastructure have sent prices of basic goods skyrocketing. — Matt Gutman, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The drawing, which depicts a crumbling stone arcade spanning a body of water, is being sold by Oxford, UK, auction house Mallams, where it is expected to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000 ($53,000 to $79,000). — News Desk, Artforum, 15 Oct. 2026 The once grand building, where celebrities and socialites have slept, lived, and partied for decades, is undeniably shabby, with worn carpets and crumbling plumbing. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 15 Oct. 2026 By Saturday night, Long Beach reported that seawater had entered homes and into streets, with the city’s Peninsula neighborhood being hard hit, and its boardwalk crumbling. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026 The hotel’s journey from crumbling Presbyterian church to Silver Lake hotspot is more interesting, a soap opera that involves government red tape, some nuns and Katy Perry. — Mickey Rapkin, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026 The neighborhood This is one of Bangkok’s oldest districts, where street kitchens still dish up 100-year-old family recipes and crumbling shophouses line the road. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 High school students, meanwhile, have called for a fix to staff shortages, overcrowded classrooms and crumbling school infrastructure. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 There was a palpable sense of everything crumbling around you in terms of the culture, and even social interaction became problematic. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crumbling
  1. disintegration
  2. deteriorating
  3. worsening
  4. descending
  5. declining
Noun
  • Banquo doesn’t have to do or say a thing to trigger Macbeth’s disintegration.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Conversely, modern concrete is subject to irreversible decay, a form of disintegration owing to its formation as a composite of cement and aggregate materials, such as gravel and sand.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of disintegration
Verb
  • Authorities warned against hiking this route this time of year due to deteriorating conditions and the onset of winter weather.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Malaysia on Friday ordered hundreds of schools closed in several states because of deteriorating air quality.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • The victim went to the campus health clinic in August with worsening finger tingling and numbness, and leg weakness.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Stocks dropped to their worst day since July on Wednesday after the latest signal that inflation is worsening.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • The winds develop when air moves from the Great Basin west toward the California coast, descending mountain slopes and becoming warmer and drier.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The drive winds through the verdant mountains of eastern Antioquia before descending into the Aburrá Valley, where Medellín stretches across the valley floor and surrounding hillsides.
    — Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • Women naturally store less creatine than men, and during perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen can take a toll on both muscle health and mental clarity.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The result has been sturdy economic growth, even as lower-income and even middle-income households have continued to struggle under stubborn inflation and declining earnings.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of declining

Browse Nearby Words

crumbliness
crumbling
crumbly
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Cite this Entry

“Crumbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crumbling. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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