1
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
when presented with the pile of files, the first thing he did was to break them down by month, order within the month, and region
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decompose
to go through decomposition
the enamel of a human tooth will begin to break down when exposed to sugar for too long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to analyze
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships
if we break the problem down into what appear to be three aspects of it, we'll have a better chance of solving it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to die
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to crack
to yield to mental or emotional stress
began to break down when he realized that he was on the verge of bankruptcy
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to take down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to shatter
to cause to break with violence and much noise
firefighters had to break down the wall to rescue the kitten
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in nervous breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse
if you don't ease your workload, you're going to have a breakdown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the breakdown of the body was arrested by the embalming process
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in analysis
the separation and identification of the parts of a whole
the boss wanted a detailed breakdown of the sales figures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break down
Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But HOCl is also manufactured, with scientists using electrolysis to break down saltwater solutions, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The breakdown that led to this week’s shift inside DHS dates back months.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
When students don’t feel safe, learning, confidence, and trust break down.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
But HOCl is also manufactured, with scientists using electrolysis to break down saltwater solutions, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Erica Sweeney, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
The data presented at a news conference Thursday didn’t offer a breakdown of how last year’s solve rates differed geographically in the department’s 21 patrol areas.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The breakdown that led to this week’s shift inside DHS dates back months.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
The school, which has around five hundred students, does not ask parents to report their immigration status, but more than half the kids are classified as English-language learners.—
Emily Witt,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The Helix is classified as a Part 103 ultralight aircraft, the same regulatory class as a hang glider.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The following month, on April 17, 1996, two county workers stumbled across the decomposing remains of Kenneth Smith.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The body was decomposed, a fire official said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The system can also analyze images to identify items and shop for similar products within a set budget.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
-
What researchers discovered inside iOS apps Security researchers at Cybernews, a cybersecurity research firm, analyzed the code of more than 156,000 iPhone apps.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Giuffre died by suicide last year at age 41.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Lauryn Hill will perform a tribute to D'Angelo, who died of cancer in October at the age of 51, and Roberta Flack, who died in February at age 88.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
A certain perception of Arsenal’s mental frailties persists, as if this is not just the same team that faltered in the final stages in 2022-23 but the same one that habitually cracked under pressure in the later years of Wenger’s tenure.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Directed by Stacey Lee and produced by Jon Watts, the three-part documentary series (inspired by the iHeart Media podcast of the same name) chronicles a high school sociology class trying to crack a local cold case.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And his two Super Bowls were against the New England Patriots, taking down Belichick and Tom Brady to spoil their perfect 2007 season and the 2011 campaign.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Vestar was born in 1988 during private equity’s first boom, the same year a brash NYC firm known as Kohlberg Kravis & Roberts took down mighty RJR Nabisco for $25 billion ($70 billion in today’s terms), back when deals were called LBOs and dealmakers were known as corporate raiders.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The sequence of Enoch among the heavenly hosts, violent, shattering with Blakeian geometry and color.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Family describes unimaginable grief In a statement, Grace Brito's mother, Tracy Brito, described a family shattered by the loss of their daughter.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As for this devastated, miserable, freaked out, walking nervous breakdown of a man?—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
25 Nov. 2025
-
The 1970s were Hollywood’s nervous breakdown.—
Remy Blumenfeld,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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