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collapse
[ kuh-laps ]
verb (used without object)
- to fall or cave in; crumble suddenly:
The roof collapsed and buried the crowd.
- to be made so that sections or parts can be folded up, as for convenient storage:
This bridge table collapses.
- to break down; come to nothing; fail:
Despite all their efforts the peace talks collapsed.
- to fall unconscious or as if unconscious or physically depleted, as from a stroke, heart attack, disease, or exhaustion.
- Pathology.
- to sink into extreme weakness.
- (of lungs) to come into an airless state.
verb (used with object)
- to cause to collapse:
He collapsed the table easily.
noun
- a falling in or together:
Three miners were trapped by the collapse of the tunnel roof.
- a sudden, complete failure; breakdown:
The bribery scandal brought about the complete collapse of his industrial empire.
collapse
/ kəˈlæps /
verb
- intr to fall down or cave in suddenly
the whole building collapsed
- intr to fail completely
his story collapsed on investigation
- intr to break down or fall down from lack of strength
- to fold (furniture, etc) compactly or (of furniture, etc) to be designed to fold compactly
noun
- the act or instance of suddenly falling down, caving in, or crumbling
- a sudden failure or breakdown
Derived Forms
- colˈlapsible, adjective
- colˌlapsiˈbility, noun
Other Words From
- precol·lapse verb precollapsed precollapsing
- uncol·lapsed adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of collapse1
Example Sentences
Gary Wang, co-founder and chief technology officer of FTX, was sentenced to no time in prison on Wednesday, two years after the cryptocurrency firm collapsed and faced accusations of defrauding customers.
Progress has not been a straight line and the league collapsed within two years, but the impact was still far-reaching and, according to Scurry, "set the groundwork" for what has happened since.
Dr Marina Miron, a defence researcher at Kings College London, suggested to the BBC that there was a possibility the Ukrainian eastern front “might actually collapse” if Russia continues to advance at pace.
The gunfire continued as Ordaz collapsed and his relatives screamed out, according to the video.
The teenagers then got back into Snook's car, which performed a U-turn in the street and sped away, leaving the boys collapsed in the street.
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More About Collapse
What does collapse mean?
Collapse means to break apart suddenly, as in The rickety bridge collapsed into the river. If something collapses, it falls apart or caves in quickly and suddenly. Usually, something collapses because it’s unable to support its own weight.
Collapse can also be used figuratively to mean to fail or break down, as in The party quickly collapsed when two groups started fighting with each other.
Collapse can also mean to fall unconscious or to pass out, as in The marathon runner collapsed due to heat stroke.
Collapse can also be used as a noun in any of these senses, as in She determined that the coins dated back to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Example: I had to rebuild my house of cards after the wobbly table caused it to collapse.
Where does collapse come from?
The first records of collapse come from around 1725. It comes from the Latin collābī, meaning “to fall to ruins.” To collapse is to literally or figuratively fall, usually suddenly.
With any building or man-made structure, a big concern is the structure collapsing. To prevent this, structures are reinforced to be as sturdy as possible. Modern building collapses are usually due to poor construction methods or a lack of building maintenance. Building and bridge collapses are often major tragedies that cause death and extensive damage.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to collapse?
- precollapse (verb)
- uncollapsed (adjective)
- collapsible (adjective)
- collapsibility (noun)
What are some synonyms for collapse?
What are some words that share a root or word element with collapse?
What are some words that often get used in discussing collapse?
How is collapse used in real life?
Collapse is a common word that means to fall apart or suddenly fail.
President @ashrafghani told me due to the quake a school building collapsed & children lost their lives. I was very pained to hear of this.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 26, 2015
In the course of about ten minutes the entirety of my weekend plans collapsed.
— John Jannuzzi (@johnjannuzzi) July 22, 2016
Great news: Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson, who collapsed on court Dec. 12, is being released from the hospital today. 🙏🏽
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 22, 2020
Try using collapse!
Is collapse used correctly in the following sentence?
The company collapsed when it released a popular new toy and became more successful than ever.
More About Collapse
What does collapse mean?
Collapse means to break apart suddenly, as in The rickety bridge collapsed into the river. If something collapses, it falls apart or caves in quickly and suddenly. Usually, something collapses because it’s unable to support its own weight.
Collapse can also be used figuratively to mean to fail or break down, as in The party quickly collapsed when two groups started fighting with each other.
Collapse can also mean to fall unconscious or to pass out, as in The marathon runner collapsed due to heat stroke.
Collapse can also be used as a noun in any of these senses, as in She determined that the coins dated back to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Example: I had to rebuild my house of cards after the wobbly table caused it to collapse.
Where does collapse come from?
The first records of collapse come from around 1725. It comes from the Latin collābī, meaning “to fall to ruins.” To collapse is to literally or figuratively fall, usually suddenly.
With any building or man-made structure, a big concern is the structure collapsing. To prevent this, structures are reinforced to be as sturdy as possible. Modern building collapses are usually due to poor construction methods or a lack of building maintenance. Building and bridge collapses are often major tragedies that cause death and extensive damage.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to collapse?
- precollapse (verb)
- uncollapsed (adjective)
- collapsible (adjective)
- collapsibility (noun)
What are some synonyms for collapse?
What are some words that share a root or word element with collapse?
What are some words that often get used in discussing collapse?
How is collapse used in real life?
Collapse is a common word that means to fall apart or suddenly fail.
President @ashrafghani told me due to the quake a school building collapsed & children lost their lives. I was very pained to hear of this.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 26, 2015
In the course of about ten minutes the entirety of my weekend plans collapsed.
— John Jannuzzi (@johnjannuzzi) July 22, 2016
Great news: Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson, who collapsed on court Dec. 12, is being released from the hospital today. 🙏🏽
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 22, 2020
Try using collapse!
Is collapse used correctly in the following sentence?
The company collapsed when it released a popular new toy and became more successful than ever.
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