collapse

Definition

To break apart and fall down suddenly; to cave in.

Etymology

From Latin collāpsus (past participle of collābor).

Example Sentences

• "A balloon collapses when the gas escapes from it."
• "Pyramid schemes tend to generate profits for a while and then collapse."
• "However much we like to think of ourselves as something special in world history, in fact industrial societies are subject to the same principles that caused earlier societies to collapse."