crumple Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb fall apart
    collapse; tumble; break down; crumble.
    • the building crumbled after the explosion
    • Negotiations broke down
  2. verb fold or collapse
    buckle.
    • His knees buckled
  3. verb to gather something into small wrinkles or folds
    knit; rumple; pucker; cockle.
    • She puckered her lips
  4. verb become wrinkled or crumpled or creased
    crinkle; rumple; wrinkle; crease.
    • This fabric won't wrinkle

WordNet

Crum"ple transitive verb
Etymology
Dim. fr. crump, a.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Crumpled present participle & verbal noun Crumpling
Definitions
  1. To draw or press into wrinkles or folds to crush together; to rumple; as, to crumple paper.
    They crumpled it into all shapes, and diligently scanned every wrinkle that could be made. Addison.
Crum"ple intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To contract irregularly; to show wrinkless after being crushed together; as, leaves crumple.

Webster 1913