verb
crumble
KRUHM-buhl
verb
1
To break apart into small pieces or fall to ruin.
"The old wall crumbled under the weight of the tree."
"Her confidence crumbled after the harsh review."
noun
1
A British dessert of stewed fruit topped with a crumbly mix of flour, butter, and sugar.
"We had apple crumble with custard for pudding."
How to Use Crumble
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo fall apart into pieces, or the classic British baked fruit dessert.
UK vs US
The dessert "crumble" is a distinctly British term; Americans might call a similar dish a "crisp" or "cobbler."
Common pairings
crumble under pressure
apple crumble
start to crumble
Word Forms
crumbled past tense, crumbles plural, Crumbles plural, crumbles singular
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The old wall _____ under the weight of the tree.
Etymology
From an older form crymble, related to "crumb" with a diminutive ending.