COLLAPSE Synonyms: 208 Similar and Opposite Words

collapse 1 of 2

verb

kə-ˈlaps

Definition of collapse

as in to tumble

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to fail

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to compress

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

collapse

2 of 2

noun

as in exhaustion

a complete depletion of energy or strength suffered a mental collapse under the strain of studying for his bar exam

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in defeat

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 collapse

Verb

As a small Catholic community in Boise, Idaho, was preparing for the Christmas season in December 1982, a man sitting in the back of the church collapsed. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 In reality, there are no heroes and no glory, only worlds that collapse and dreams that shatter. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Noun

The collapse of Brazilian bank Banco Master has reached across the political establishment, including the Supreme Court, just weeks before the vote. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026 For Europe, Ukraine’s collapse would create a security threat far greater than the cost of replacing transformers or financing fuel imports. — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for collapse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapse

Verb

The chorus broke open with two major chords, and the two people fumbled their way down the hall in the story while the musical progression tumbled downward, along with the protagonist’s self-respect.

— Tom Roland, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2026
The call followed the release of solid financial results for the July-to-September quarter, though lower fourth-quarter and full-year guidance spooked investors and sent Netflix shares tumbling in after-hours trading.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of tumble

Verb

Because Tesla’s bylaws count abstentions as votes against, the measure failed, Bloomberg reported.

— Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
In its ruling, the court said the parent group had failed to show Asian American students were harmed, because they were still being admitted at higher rates than the applicant pool.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of fail

Verb

By adjusting the distance between the tips, the team could stretch or compress the molecular structure, changing the voltage at which the current enhancement began.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
For everyday document management, AcePDF can merge or split files, rotate or delete pages, compress large PDFs, and extract images.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of compress

Verb

Jayaprakash told Fortune that most of the new money will go toward purchasing more computing power.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Bauers and his wife, Lauren Bauers, sat down with ABC News’ Will Reeve to discuss his journey, going from nearly walking away from professional baseball in 2024 to being named the National League Championship Series MVP last week.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of go

Verb

Because the flopping infraction carries no suspension, George remains fully cleared to suit up Friday when Boston hosts his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
The importance of competition There are three specific reasons why vote buying usually flops.

— Kenneth Greene, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of flop

Browse Nearby Words

collages

collapse

collapsed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Collapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapse. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of collapse

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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