C1verb · transitive · rare

crumble

crum·ble

crumble · crumbles · crumbled · crumbling

розсипатися, кришитися, кришити, розкришуватися

рассыпаться, крошиться, крошить, раскрошить

zerkrümeln, bröckeln, zerbröckeln, krümeln

To fall apart; to disintegrateTo fall apart; to disintegrate.

ⓘ

/ˈkɹʌmbəl/

» That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Meaning

3 senses

(figuratively, intransitive, often)To fall apart; to disintegrate.
The bread roll crumbled when I tried to slice it; it was too stale.
The empire crumbled when the ruler's indiscretions came to light.
bröckeln, zerbröckeln, zerkrümeln
кроши́тьсяkrošítʹsja, раскроши́тьсяraskrošítʹsja, рассыпа́тьсяrassypátʹsja
розсипа́тисяrozsypátysja, розси́патисяrozsýpatysja, криши́тисяkryšýtysja
fall apart
(transitive)To break into crumbs.
We crumbled some bread into the water.
krümeln, zerkrümeln
кроши́тьkrošítʹ, раскроши́тьraskrošítʹ
криши́тиkryšýty, розкри́шуватиrozkrýšuvaty, розкриши́тиrozkryšýty
break or fall apart into fragments
(transitive)To mix (ingredients such as flour and butter) in such a way as to form crumbs.
Using your fingers, crumble the ingredients with the fingertips, lifting in an upward motion, until the mixture is sandy and resembles large breadcrumbs.

Examples

73 sentences

That's just the way the cookie crumbles.
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I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
ruПолагаю, это просто так крошится печенье.
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That's the way the cookie crumbles.
Отака от хуйня, малята.
ruВот такие пироги.
deSo ist das Leben.
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Why are you crumbling this bread?
ruЗачем ты крошишь этот хлеб?
CC BY · Tatoeba · Amastan · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
What's the recipe for apple crumble?
CC BY · Tatoeba · glassiko · C1Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

8 languages

Українська

By meaning 2

to fall apart:

to render into crumbs:

Русский

By meaning 2

to fall apart:

to render into crumbs:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

to fall apart:

to render into crumbs:

Origin

From earlier crymble, crimble, from Middle English *crymblen, kremelen, from Old English *

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.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

crumbles, crumbling, crumbled, crumbled

Base form	crumble · to crumble
3rd person singular	crumbles
Present participle	crumbling
Past simple	crumbled
Past participle	crumbled

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, they	crumble
he, she, it	crumbles

Past simpleLesson

all persons

crumbled

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, they	have crumbled
he, she, it	has crumbled

Future simple (will)Lesson

all persons

will crumble

Synonyms

7 synonyms

Close in meaning

break or fall apart into fragments:fall apart
fall apart:crumple tumble break down collapse
fall into decay or ruin:decay dilapidate

Word family

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle