Crumble
/ˈkrʌmbəl/
verbnounB1
Definition
As a verb, "crumble" means to break into small pieces or to fall apart slowly, often because of age, pressure, or weakness. As a noun, it can mean a dessert made from baked fruit with a soft, crumbly topping or the small pieces that have broken off something.
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⚡ See It in Action
To break into small pieces or fall apart slowly (verb)
- •The old brick wall began to crumble after many years.
- •His confidence started to crumble after the mistake.
- •The cookies will crumble if you touch them too hard.
A dessert made with fruit and a soft topping (noun)
- •I baked an apple crumble for dessert last night.
- •She loves eating warm crumble with ice cream.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "crumble" like "break," but softer and slower—like something falling apart little by little, not suddenly snapping.
- ✓Picture an old wall slowly falling down, with small pieces dropping off one by one.
- ✓It's the feeling when a cookie breaks in your hand, turning into crumbs you can almost feel falling.
- ✓Sounds like "crum-bull" → imagine a ball of paper that you squeeze and it breaks into tiny pieces.
- ✓Remember the phrase "to watch something crumble" like a sandcastle slowly washing away by waves.
- ✓NOT like "break" (which can be quick and loud), crumble is gentle and slow.
- ✓NOT like "shatter" (which means breaking into many sharp pieces suddenly), crumble is soft and small pieces falling.
- ✓NOT like "collapse" (which is falling down completely at once), crumble is small parts falling off over time.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Fall apart: to break into pieces (Use when describing something breaking down completely, often emotionally or physically)
- •Collapse: to fall down suddenly (Use when something falls or fails quickly and completely)
- •Disintegrate: to break into very small pieces or disappear (Use when something breaks down completely, often into dust or tiny parts)
- •Break: to separate into parts (Use for general breaking, often sudden and clear)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: root "crumble" (no prefix or suffix)
- •Etymology: From Old English "crumbian" meaning to fall to pieces or break
- •Historical development: Used since Middle Ages to describe things falling apart physically or figuratively
- •Modern usage: Used both for physical breaking into small bits and for abstract ideas like plans or confidence falling apart
- •Interesting fact: Also used in cooking for a type of dessert topping that is soft and crumbly
💭 Reflect & Connect
•What kinds of things in life can "crumble" besides physical objects? Can feelings or plans crumble?
•How does the slow, gentle way of crumbling compare to sudden breaking or collapsing in how we feel about change or loss?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The old building began to crumble because it was very ___ over time.
2.When her hopes started to crumble, she felt ___ and unsure.
3.Unlike breaking suddenly, crumble means to fall apart ___ and in small pieces.
4.He watched the sandcastle ___ slowly as the waves touched it.
5.The apple crumble is a dessert made with fruit and a ___ topping.
6.Confidence can crumble after repeated ___ or failures.
7.When something crumbles, it often leaves behind small ___ or pieces.