collapses 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of collapse
1
as in tumbles
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fails
to be unsuccessful the legal case collapsed in the face of the opposition's evidence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in compresses
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

collapses

2 of 2

noun

plural of collapse
as in defeats
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 collapses
Verb
When a shopping agent handles discovery, evaluation and checkout in a single conversation, the funnel collapses into one step. — Haozhuang Dai, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 If the merger collapses altogether, Paramount would instead be on the hook for a $7 billion termination fee to WBD. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026 Bear then passionately kisses Nikki, but soon collapses from the overdose and dies. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026 When trust collapses, rumors spread faster than pathogens, vaccination campaigns falter and outbreaks grow. — Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 13 Aug. 2026 Hermione, overcome with grief from the sudden death of her other son, collapses and dies offstage. — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 Perhaps even Daeron, who in the book dies ignobly early in the battle, either by a random one of Addam’s soldiers or when his burning pavilion collapses on him. — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026 Another video geolocated by CNN shows people running for cover as another building collapses in Pereira. — Michael Rios, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 The house finally collapses (the foundation has been sinking since before the rain began) and the creatures jump into the hole left by the house, never to be seen again. — Barry Levitt, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
Artisanal mine collapses are common in Central African Republic, where thousands of people work in small-scale mining, often with little protection. — ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 Gold mining expands despite safety risks Artisanal mine collapses are common in Central African Republic, where thousands of people work in small-scale mining, often with little protection. — Jean Fernand Koena, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 This is the vertical metal support needed as reinforcement against roof collapses during rollover. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 20 Aug. 2026 Now, after two losing campaigns, each with dramatic, eye-searing collapses, this year may be Norvell’s last. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026 The irishman discussed his disappointing season afterward, pointing to a pair of collapses to start his season and how that affected him. — Mike Fore, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Charted out, the twin collapses of the income and inheritance taxes look like a roller coaster careening downhill, picking up speed toward and through the twenty-first century. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026 Many survivors have chosen to sleep outside to avoid the risk of further collapses, and some are seeking shelter in places like stadiums. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 When a massive star collapses and explodes, neutrinos escape from its interior and can reach Earth before the burst of light becomes visible. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for collapses
  1. tumbles
  2. fails
  3. compresses
  4. defeats
  5. goes
  6. flops
  7. condenses
  8. failures
Verb
  • From trashing bedrooms and throwing couches, the pair tumbles down stairs and has a chase across the lawn before ending up in the pool.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Front load washers are built with a horizontal drum that tumbles the clothes in each cycle.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of tumbles
Verb
  • Like eyes, ears and lungs, a person can live a relatively normal and active life if one organ in the natural set fails.
    — Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Kick the can If Congress fails to act, payments are expected to be 22% lower, which could be devastating for the millions of seniors who rely on their Social Security benefits to pay for basic necessities.
    — Ashley Lopez, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of fails
Verb
  • That intuition usually takes years to build, but a new controller from MIT engineers compresses that learning curve to a single session.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Everything around those decisions is where AI compresses the timeline.
    — Matthew Chow, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of compresses
Noun
  • Mayer’s three professional defeats have now all come in England, following split-decision losses to Alycia Baumgardner in London in 2022 and Natasha Jonas in Liverpool in 2024.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • This move follows recent court defeats for the department after rules to limit PSLF were struck down, raising concerns about the broader impact on public service workers.
    — Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeats
Verb
  • Driving Experience The windscreen is brief to say the least, but airflow goes right over your head.
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The movie goes big on the ‘80s tropes for laughs, including over-the-top costumes and era-specific references, but the love story at its heart is timeless.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of goes
Verb
  • In Bait, Ahmed stars as struggling actor Shah Latif, who flops in his audition to play James Bond and then becomes consumed by the quest to become the first Pakistani 007.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Starter addition flops Last season’s trade deadline wound up being a big flop.
    — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of flops
Verb
  • The film’s final scene condenses a great deal of meaning into a single moment.
    — JD Linville, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • As the plume rises, the water vapor cools and condenses into tiny cloud droplets, forming a cloud directly above the fire.
    — Yunyao Li, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of condenses
Noun
  • Summary The Lindsay Clancy case, involving postpartum psychosis, highlights critical gaps in maternal health support and systemic failures.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Fifty years on, these songs capture the feelings and failures not of Los Angeles but of America, too.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of failures

Browse Nearby Words

collapsed
collapses
collapsing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Collapses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/collapses. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

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

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All