crumble
Break into pieces
Crumble means to break or fall apart into small fragments.
Bread crumbles into crumbs, old walls crumble into rubble.
The word extends to gradual disintegration: Their marriage crumbled, Support for the policy crumbled.
As a noun, a crumble is a British baked dessert with fruit topped by a streusel-like mixture: apple crumble, rhubarb crumble.
Grow worse over time
- rotOrganic breakdown process
- decomposeBreak into simpler parts
- erodeDiminish through persistent friction
- corrodeDestroy through chemical action
weather · degrade · perish · wilt · atrophy · disintegrate · molder · oxidize
Crumbly or unreliable
- brittleLiable to shatter
- friableReadily reduced to fragments
- powderyReduced to fine particles
- granularMade of tiny particles
gritty · sandy · coarse · mealy · shortbread · scone · feta · cookie
Firm and breakable
- cobblerShoe repair artisan
- streuselCrumbly baked pastry layer
- toppingFood's finishing layer
- oatsCereal grain for porridge
butter · brown sugar · rhubarb · berries · baked · cinnamon · flour · baking dish
Cause to fall
- cave-inUnderground passage collapse
- fallDescend under gravity
- tumbleUncontrolled rolling descent
- give wayCollapse or relent
buckle · subsidence · landslide · avalanche · earthquake · implosion · demolition · destruction
Small portions or pieces
- piecesParts of something divided
- morselsSmall pieces of food
- particlesMinute pieces of matter
- flakesThin, flat pieces
shards · remnants · debris · rubble · dust · scraps · specks · slivers
Connection between entities
- empireDomain under unified control
- allianceFormal union of parties
- regimeSystem of governance
- dynastySuccessive family rulers
authority · confidence · resolve · resistance · facade · dream · hope · foundation
deteriorate
Grow worse over time
- rotOrganic breakdown process
- decomposeBreak into simpler parts
- erodeDiminish through persistent friction
corrode · weather · degrade · perish · wilt · atrophy · disintegrate · molder · oxidize · rust
flaky
Crumbly or unreliable
granular · gritty · sandy · coarse · mealy · shortbread · scone · feta · cookie · biscuit
crisp
Firm and breakable
oats · butter · brown sugar · rhubarb · berries · baked · cinnamon · flour · baking dish · warm
topple
Cause to fall
give way · buckle · subsidence · landslide · avalanche · earthquake · implosion · demolition · destruction · ruins
bits
Small portions or pieces
flakes · shards · remnants · debris · rubble · dust · scraps · specks · slivers · chunks
relationship
Connection between entities
dynasty · authority · confidence · resolve · resistance · facade · dream · hope · foundation · support
- demolitiondemolish, raze, bulldoze, controlled demolition, wreck
- collapsecollapse, cave in, cave-in, fall in, give way
- decayrot, decay rate, wilt, decomposition, fade
- vivid verbsshimmer, sparkle, gleam, glisten, glitter
- -le/-er verbsbabble, bubble, bumble, burble, crackle
- dessertscake, cookies, pie, cupcakes, pudding
crumblesolidify
Make or become hard
hold together · harden · cohere · consolidate · set
- bread crumbsDried, ground loaf pieces
- apple crumbleBaked fruit under streusel
- cookie crumbsBroken treat fragments
- cake crumbsTiny baked-good pieces
- crumb cakePastry with crumbly topping
- crumb toppingTextured baked-good coating
crumb, crumbs, crumbling, crumbly, crumbled, crumbles, crumbed, crumbing, crumblers