implode

This term describes a sudden, catastrophic collapse where the force is directed inward. In a physical sense, it is the opposite of explode, evoking an image of vacuum-like suction or crushing pressure that obliterates a structure from the outside in.

When applied to social or economic systems, it suggests a self-destructive failure. It implies that the entity was hollow or unstable on the inside, causing it to buckle under its own weight or external stress rather than breaking apart into pieces.