crumble
v.v. to break into small pieces, or to fall apart because something is old or weak. You can use it for food like bread or for things like old buildings and plans.
v. to break or fall apart into small fragments; to disintegrate. Often describes the physical decay of structures or the metaphorical collapse of systems, plans, or emotional resolve.
The old stone wall began to crumble after the heavy rain.
If you overbake the cookies, they will crumble into a mess as soon as you touch them.
The empire began to crumble from within as political corruption and economic instability eroded the foundations of its once-mighty institutions.
From earlier crymble, crimble, from Middle English crymblen, kremelen, from Old English crymlan (“to crumble”), from *crymel (“a small crumb; crumble”), diminutive of Old English cruma (“crumb”), equivalent to crumb + -le (diminutive suffix). Compare Dutch kruimelen (“to crumble”), German Low German krömmeln (“to crumble”), German Krümel, diminutive of German Krume, German krümeln, krümmeln (“to crumble”). Alteration of vowel due to analogy with crumb.
Can be used both transitively (to crumble something) and intransitively (something crumbles).