meltdown

1 of 2

noun

melt·​down ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n 

1

: the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor

2

: a rapid or disastrous decline or collapse

3

: a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation)

melt down

2 of 2

verb

melted down; melting down; melts down

intransitive verb

: to suffer a meltdown : collapse

Synonyms

Verb

• crack
• fall apart
• lose it
• choke
• flip (out) [slang]
• go to pieces
• break down
• wig (out) [slang]
• freak (out)
• break up

Examples of meltdown in a Sentence

Noun

fears that an accident could cause meltdown

a company experiencing financial meltdown

After a long day at the beach, our toddler had a major meltdown in the car on the way home.

Verb

rather than melt down, the team strengthened their resolve and ended up winning the game

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The public meltdown devolved into legal threats and recriminations on both sides. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025

Mercury’s clash with Chiron can trigger an emotional meltdown in a public forum. —Usa Today, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025

Verb

The international spotlight recently turned to crime in Egypt when a pharaoh's priceless bracelet was stolen from a Cairo museum and melted down – forever lost to history. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025

Reliever Luke Weaver melted down again, and then seemed lost trying to explain it postgame. —Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meltdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

meltdown

noun

melt·​down ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n 

1

: the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor

2

: a rapid or disastrous decline or collapse

a financial meltdown

3

: a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation)