crumble

1 of 2

verb

crum·​ble ˈkrəm-bəl 

crumbled; crumbling ˈkrəm-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to break into small pieces

intransitive verb

1

: to fall into small pieces : disintegrate

2

: to break down completely : collapse

marriages crumble

crumble

2 of 2

noun

1

: something crumbled : fine debris

2

: crisp sense 2

Synonyms of crumble

Verb

• deteriorate
• descend
• worsen
• decline

Examples of crumble in a Sentence

Verb

Crumble the cookies into small bits.

The recipe calls for the herbs to be crumbled.

bones so old they had crumbled to dust

She was extremely depressed after her marriage crumbled.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Weeks ago, third-party tracking services initially suggested that Digger could open to closer to $30 million, but interest appeared to crumble in the 10 days leading up to release. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Nevertheless, seeing Barkov fall to the ice only conjured memories of last year’s training camp, when the top-line center crumbled down following a noncontract drill just a half hour into his first on-ice session. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Noun

Push on that flimsy framing, though, and Carrie’s thematic coherence crumbles. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026

The Japanese rice bowl combines soboro (そぼろ)—ground meat, fish, or eggs cooked into fine crumbles—with steamed short-grain rice and assorted toppings. — Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of Middle English kremelen, frequentative of Old English gecrymian to crumble, from cruma

First Known Use

Verb

1547, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for crumble

• bumble
• fumble
• grumble
• humble
• jumble
• mumble
• rumble
• stumble
• tumble
• umbel

Kids Definition

crumble

verb

crum·​ble

ˈkrəm-bəl

crumbled; crumbling

-b(ə-)liŋ

1

: to break into small pieces

crumble bread

2

: to fall into ruin

relationships crumble