/ ˈkrʌmpl; NAmE / verb
1.
crumple (sth) (up) (into sth) to crush sth into folds; to become crushed into folds :
[ vn ]
She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire.
[ v ]
This material crumples very easily.
2.
[ v ] crumple (up) if your face crumples , you look sad and disappointed, as if you might cry
3.
[ v ] crumple (up) to fall down in an uncontrolled way because you are injured, unconscious, drunk, etc.
SYN collapse :
He crumpled up in agony.
► crump·led adjective :
crumpled clothes / papers
A crumpled figure lay motionless in the doorway.
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from obsolete crump make or become curved , from Old English crump bent, crooked , of West Germanic origin; related to German krumm .