Collapse

/kəˈlæps/ · verb

Meaning

(intransitive) To break apart and fall down suddenly; to cave in..

Definitions by Sense

1. (intransitive) To break apart and fall down suddenly; to cave in.
2. (intransitive) To cease to function due to a sudden breakdown; to fail suddenly and completely.
3. (intransitive) To fold compactly.
4. (transitive, computing) In a hierarchical list (such as a directory tree or table of contents), to hide the subentries of (an entry).
5. (intransitive, cricket) To suffer a batting collapse.
6. (transitive) To cause something to collapse.
7. (intransitive) To pass out and fall to the floor or ground, as from exhaustion or other illness; to faint.
8. The act of collapsing.

Example Sentences

A balloon collapses when the gas escapes from it.

Pyramid schemes tend to generate profits for a while and then collapse.

However much we like to think of ourselves as something special in world history, in fact industrial societies are subject to the same principles that caused earlier societies to collapse.

Immediately after his wicket the team collapsed for 69.

Hurry up and collapse the tent so we can get moving.

Thomas added: "We presented our experiences of frantically trying to collapse a pram, surrounded by loads of grumpy commuters.

The exhausted singer collapsed on stage and had to be taken to the hospital.

She suffered a terrible collapse after slipping on the wet floor.

Synonyms for collapse

Antonyms for collapse

Related Words

Word Forms

• collapses
• collapsing
• collapsed

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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