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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of break down
Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
WalletHub’s full 2025 report, including a breakdown of all 100 cities and methodology, is available here.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
But when broken down by generation, Gen Xers are the least financially prepared generation for retirement by nearly every measure, according to a new research paper by Alliance's Retirement Income Institute.
—Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
See video … Tune in to the FOX NEWS RUNDOWN PODCAST for an Election Day breakdown of key races — and what their outcomes could reveal about the political landscape.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
WalletHub’s full 2025 report, including a breakdown of all 100 cities and methodology, is available here.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services reports that about 35% of adults in the state are classified as obese, placing it among 19 states with obesity prevalence at or above that level.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
However, not every smaller tyrannosaur skeleton should be classified as Nanotyrannus, according to Brusatte.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Forensic entomology −the study of insects and arthropods on decomposing bodies − is crucial in homicide and death investigations, Musah told USA TODAY.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The round spots seemed neat compared with their surroundings, clear of the layers of decomposing plankton spotted elsewhere on the seafloor.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tools can track a worker’s every keystroke and mouse movement and analyze his or her emails.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
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According to Google, Gemini analyzes data on 250 million places and compares it with Street View images to find the most visible and useful landmarks.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The baby, who initially made good progress after the surgery, died 20 days later.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
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The medical examiner on Friday determined that the student died by suicide.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Here was the first sign that Yorgos Lanthimos had cracked the code on Colin Farrell.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The earth stretched flat in every direction, almost to the horizon—a pale, cracked crust, vaguely lunar.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In some cases, sportsbooks have taken down odds on certain events to protect against manipulation.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
In a new joint venture redeveloping the marina, Everett Landco announced plans to take down storage tanks and dismantle offices at the location this month, per NBC News.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even if a dish is marked safe for use in the oven, if heated beyond a certain temperature, or if a broil setting is used, glass can shatter.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The strength to sit with what shattered before building what’s next.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lane is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Boy Brian Wilson’s attempts to complete the album Smile in the aftermath of a nervous breakdown while dealing with schizophrenia.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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