rumple
1 of 2noun
rum·ple ˈrəm-pəl 
: fold, wrinkle
rumple
2 of 2verb
rumpled; rumpling ˈrəm-p(ə-)liŋ
transitive verb
1
: wrinkle, crumple
2
: to make unkempt : tousle
intransitive verb
: to become rumpled
Synonyms
Verb
- crinkle
- crumple
- scrunch
- wrinkle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb He rumpled her hair affectionately. the guest rumpled the antique bedspread by lying down on it
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen O’connor, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 The sleeves of her green satin gown are rolled up at her wrists, and its skirt rumples against the polished floor. Stephen O’connor, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 The sleeves of her green satin gown are rolled up at her wrists, and its skirt rumples against the polished floor. Stephen O’connor, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 The sleeves of her green satin gown are rolled up at her wrists, and its skirt rumples against the polished floor. Stephen O’connor, Harper's magazine, 20 Jan. 2020 The front-runner to be the next British prime minister, Boris Johnson, is barnstorming across the countryside, campaigning on his Latin-quoting, rumple-suited, Oxford-educated, optimistic, populist Englishness. Washington Post, 6 July 2019 The end of Chasm 1 is currently about 2.5 miles away from the ice rumples. National Geographic, 25 Mar. 2019 The rumples form when the bottom of the ice shelf, which flows downhill toward the ocean like very slow putty, runs up against an underwater ridge. National Geographic, 25 Mar. 2019 Or Liz Taylor, whose luxe rumple of espresso curls had all the drama of her famous violet eyes. Sophie Schulte-hillen, Vogue, 28 July 2018 Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 It was returned to me with its chiffon over-layer in shreds and my previously thriving silk buds were rumpled, drooping, and wilted—like a flower bed dug up by the neighbor’s dog. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 See More
Noun
The sleeves of her green satin gown are rolled up at her wrists, and its skirt rumples against the polished floor. Stephen O’connor, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 The sleeves of her green satin gown are rolled up at her wrists, and its skirt rumples against the polished floor. Stephen O’connor, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 The sleeves of her green satin gown are rolled up at her wrists, and its skirt rumples against the polished floor. Stephen O’connor, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2020 The sleeves of her green satin gown are rolled up at her wrists, and its skirt rumples against the polished floor. Stephen O’connor, Harper's magazine, 20 Jan. 2020 The front-runner to be the next British prime minister, Boris Johnson, is barnstorming across the countryside, campaigning on his Latin-quoting, rumple-suited, Oxford-educated, optimistic, populist Englishness. Washington Post, 6 July 2019 The end of Chasm 1 is currently about 2.5 miles away from the ice rumples. National Geographic, 25 Mar. 2019 The rumples form when the bottom of the ice shelf, which flows downhill toward the ocean like very slow putty, runs up against an underwater ridge. National Geographic, 25 Mar. 2019 Or Liz Taylor, whose luxe rumple of espresso curls had all the drama of her famous violet eyes. Sophie Schulte-hillen, Vogue, 28 July 2018 Verb
Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 It was returned to me with its chiffon over-layer in shreds and my previously thriving silk buds were rumpled, drooping, and wilted—like a flower bed dug up by the neighbor’s dog. Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 Anthony’s lawyer, Marty Lumetta (Richard Schiff, the picture of rumpled, put-upon frustration), has also worked too many of these cases to be optimistic. Bill Goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, 6 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Dutch rompelen; akin to Old High German rimpfan to wrinkle
First Known Use
Noun
circa 1513, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1593, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Kids Definition
rumple
verb
rum·ple ˈrəm-pəl
rumpled; rumpling
: to make (something) messy or wrinkled
rumples
verb
1
as in crumples
to create (as by crushing) an irregular mass of creases in the guest rumpled the antique bedspread by lying down on it Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- crumples
- scrunches
- wrinkles
- folds
- creases
- crinkles
- puckers
- ruffles
- pleats
- furrows
- ripples
- rucks
- corrugates
- knits
- crisps
- crimps
- contracts
- musses (up)
- messes (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- smooths
- smoothes
- straightens
- irons
- presses
- irons out
- uncrumples
- flattens
- evens
- smoothens
- unfolds
- tidies
- neatens
2
as in wrinkles
to develop creases or folds the linen skirt rumpled as soon as she started wearing it Synonyms & Similar Words
- wrinkles
- furrows
- creases
- folds
- crinkles
- crumples
- doubles
- collapses
3
as in disrupts
to undo the proper order or arrangement of the aunt would invariably rumple the little boy's hair whenever she came to visit Synonyms & Similar Words
- disrupts
- musses
- shuffles
- tousles
- disturbs
- confuses
- disorders
- disorganizes
- jumbles
- disarranges
- snarls
- deranges
- upsets
- scrambles
- muddles
- dislocates
- disjoints
- tangles
- dishevels
- tumbles
- discomposes
- hashes
- disarrays
- unsettles
- embroils
- perturbs
- clutters
- mixes (up)
- entangles
- messes (up)
- agitates
- stirs (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lines
- tidies
- disposes
- regulates
- arranges
- ranges
- organizes
- orders
- aligns
- arrays
- marshals
- straightens (up)
- alines
- adjusts
- marshalls
- classifies
- fixes
- queues
- lines up
- codifies
- systematizes
- grooms
- draws up
- methodizes
- systemizes
- makes up
- spruces (up)
- unscrambles