Word
crumble
Phoneticscrum·ble, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɹəmbəɫ/
UK/kɹˈʌmbəl/
Definitions
01to break into small pieces
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to break something into very small pieces, or to fall apart into tiny bits.
v. to break or fall apart into small fragments or crumbs. Often used as an ergative verb.
“The old wall started to crumble after years of heavy rain.”
“The dry soil crumbled easily in his hands, revealing how little moisture remained after the long summer drought.”
Synonyms
02to fail or collapse
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to lose power or stop working suddenly.
v. to gradually deteriorate or suddenly collapse in a metaphorical sense, such as an empire, a relationship, or a plan.
“Their relationship began to crumble when they stopped talking to each other.”
“The once-mighty empire began to crumble as internal corruption and external pressures weakened its central authority.”
Synonyms
03a fruit dessert
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Cooking British English
n. a hot British dessert made of cooked fruit with a crunchy, crumbly topping.
n. a baked dessert consisting of stewed fruit topped with a crumbly mixture of fat, flour, and sugar.
“We had a delicious apple crumble with vanilla ice cream for dessert.”
“The chef prepared a seasonal rhubarb crumble, ensuring the topping remained crisp to contrast with the softened fruit underneath.”
Synonyms
Usage
Can be used both transitively (to crumble something) and intransitively (something crumbles).
Real-World Examples
“The difficulty comes as that understanding begins to crumble, unevenly and unpredictably.” “For those who love both sweet and savoury, this rich New York-style cheesecake on a stick is dipped in chocolate and rolled in crunchy dill pickle potato chip crumble.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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