Pronunciation: /ˈkrʌmbəl/

Definitions of crumble

noun A small piece or particle of something

Example Sentences

A1 The cookie started to crumble in my hand.

A2 The old building showed signs of crumble due to neglect.

B1 The financial market experienced a crumble after the sudden economic downturn.

B2 The relationship between the two countries began to crumble as tensions escalated.

C1 The once powerful empire began to crumble under internal strife and external pressures.

C2 The athlete's reputation started to crumble after allegations of doping surfaced.

verb To break or fall apart into small pieces, especially as a result of being old or damaged

Example Sentences

A1 The cookie crumbled in my hand.

A2 The old building started to crumble due to neglect.

B1 The relationship between the two friends began to crumble after a series of arguments.

B2 The company's reputation crumbled after the scandal was exposed.

C1 The dictator's regime finally crumbled under the pressure of the uprising.

C2 The once powerful empire crumbled into ruins after years of war and internal strife.

Examples of crumble in a Sentence

formal The old building began to crumble due to years of neglect.

informal I tried to pick up the cookie but it just crumbled in my hand.

slang His excuse for being late totally crumbled under scrutiny.

figurative Her confidence started to crumble after receiving constant criticism.

Grammatical Forms of crumble

past tense

crumbled

plural

crumbles

comparative

more crumbly

superlative

most crumbly

present tense

crumble

future tense

will crumble

perfect tense

has crumbled

continuous tense

is crumbling

singular

crumble

positive degree

crumbly

infinitive

to crumble

gerund

crumbling

participle

crumbled

Origin and Evolution of crumble

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'crumble' originated from the Old English word 'crymelen', which meant to break into small pieces.
Evolution of the word: Over time, 'crumble' has retained its original meaning of breaking into small pieces, but it has also come to be used metaphorically to describe things falling apart or disintegrating.