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

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 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
Nearly a third of its education budget is eaten up by pensions, so its poorer schools are crumbling. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026 In Frankfurt, a gray city crumbling at the corners and still finding its footing after the war, though somehow doing its best to pretend all is well, Mann and Erika are greeted by the mayor and hustled off to a press conference. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 There are so many flaws in the aging, crumbling infrastructure of the internet. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Door frames stacked like cards lean against a far wall beside pallets of crumbling Solnhofen limestone floor tiles. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026 Jarman pointed out, rightly, that in the 1630s, the walls wouldn’t have been crumbling at all. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2026 The violence at the weekend, which led to some 2,400 arrests, followed weeks of protests by French students angry about crumbling schools, a lack of teachers and dismal job prospects. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2026 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
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
  • The referendum would authorize Miami to issue $450 million in general obligation bonds to repair or replace deteriorating police and fire-rescue facilities, including construction of a new public safety building near Miami Freedom Park.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Declining industrial demand can make the electricity balance sheet look healthier, when the reality is that the economy is deteriorating under the pressure of relentless attacks.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of deteriorating
Verb
  • Rising utility costs are worsening the affordability crunch facing millions of American families, who are facing sharply higher gasoline and diesel prices amid higher oil costs due to the war in Iran.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Residents are worried about how data centers will affect power and water supplies, as well as worsening noise pollution.
    — Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of worsening
Verb
  • Video recorded from the stands shows the service member descending on a rope from the rafters at the Alamodome before falling to the field.
    — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The spacecraft will attempt two collection landings, with its exploration and return modules descending and returning to orbit as one vehicle.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of descending
Verb
  • Chinese firms have been suffering from declining profit growth amid intense competition that has eroded margins and even invited the government to step in.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • While program closures at colleges and universities often result from declining enrollment or a financial crisis, our decisions at Valencia are driven by neither.
    — Kathleen Plinske, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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