crumple
verb /ˈkrʌmpl/
/ˈkrʌmpl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they crumple | /ˈkrʌmpl/ /ˈkrʌmpl/ |
| he / she / it crumples | /ˈkrʌmplz/ /ˈkrʌmplz/ |
| past simple crumpled | /ˈkrʌmpld/ /ˈkrʌmpld/ |
| past participle crumpled | /ˈkrʌmpld/ /ˈkrʌmpld/ |
| -ing form crumpling | /ˈkrʌmplɪŋ/ /ˈkrʌmplɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] crumple (something) (up) (into something) to press or crush something into folds; to become pressed, etc. into folds
enlarge image- She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire.
- This material crumples very easily.
- [intransitive] crumple (up) if your face crumples, you look sad and disappointed, as if you might cry
- Her face crumpled up and she burst into tears.
- [intransitive] crumple (up) to suddenly fall down with no control of your body because you are injured, unconscious, drunk, etc. synonym collapse
- He crumpled up in agony.
Word OriginMiddle English: from obsolete crump ‘make ’or‘ become curved’, from Old English crump ‘bent, crooked’, of West Germanic origin; related to German krumm.