To fall or collapse in a rolling, uncontrolled manner, often in pieces.
To fall down in a messy, uncontrolled way — like a wall crumbling or a person rolling down a hill.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To fall or collapse in a rolling, uncontrolled way, especially from a height.
"The loose rocks tumbled down the hillside after the heavy rain."
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall — all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again.
Of a structure: to collapse or fall into ruin.
"The old barn finally tumbled down after years of neglect."
(figurative) Of a system, institution, or belief: to fail or collapse suddenly.
"When the evidence came out, the whole theory tumbled down."
And the walls came tumbling down.
— Joshua and the Battle of Jericho (traditional spiritual / Book of Joshua)
To fall while turning over and over, rolling downward.
To fall down in a messy, uncontrolled way — like a wall crumbling or a person rolling down a hill.
Often used to describe the slow or sudden collapse of structures (walls, buildings, empires). Also used metaphorically to describe the collapse of systems, relationships, or institutions. The adjective 'tumbledown' (one word) describes a dilapidated structure.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "tumble down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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