meltdown

noun melt·down \ ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n \

Definition of meltdown

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)

See meltdown defined for English-language learners

See meltdown defined for kids

Examples of meltdown in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of meltdown from the Web

The long-haul flight (five hours or more) offers up a special brand of hell, a smorgasbord of meltdowns, impromptu maladies and indiscriminate peevishness.

— amy tara koch, The Seattle Times, "How to tackle long-haul flights with children," 25 Aug. 2017
The moments when Trump stays on message — as with his Aug. 14 statement in the White House — almost inherently serve as a precursor for meltdowns, such as his news conference the next day.

— philip rucker, chicagotribune.com, "Three personas in three speeches, but the same president," 23 Aug. 2017
The moments when Trump stays on message — as with his Aug. 14 statement in the White House — almost inherently serve as a precursor for meltdowns, such as his news conference the next day.

— philip rucker, Washington Post, "Trump’s whiplash: Three roles in three speeches, but the same president," 23 Aug. 2017
However, a serious meltdown was just around the corner.

— joe donatelli, Los Angeles Magazine, "Southern California Used to Carry the State Economy. Now the North Does. What Happened?," 14 Aug. 2017
Now, there were rumors that Trump's early morning Twitter meltdowns would be few and far between under the new regime.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "Seth Meyers Showed Why John Kelly Won't End the White House Chaos," 3 Aug. 2017
So, for now, Sessions is probably fine to wait things out, oppress some more minorities, and fully enjoy the latest in White House internecine drama: the Anthony Scaramucci meltdown.

— benjamin hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Jeff Sessions is Still Cool with Trump After Constantly Being Humiliated by Him," 27 July 2017
Seldom are the banal logistics of child rearing — does Joan risk a trip to the vending machines to avert a hunger meltdown?

— jennifer senior, New York Times, "Hunted at the Zoo in ‘Fierce Kingdom’," 19 July 2017
Arrojo says the style actually first became popular back in 2008, post-economic meltdown, when people wanted to stretch the time between appointments as much as possible.

— rachel nussbaum, Glamour, "This Is the Secret to Making Dark Roots Look Intentional," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meltdown.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of meltdown

1956

melt down

verb

Definition of melt down

intransitive verb

:to suffer a meltdown :collapse

Examples of melt down in a Sentence

apparently beset by personal problems, the actor proceeded to melt down before startled theatergoers

First Known Use of melt down

1956

melt down Synonyms

Synonyms

break down, break up, flip (out) [slang], freak (out), crack, wig (out) [slang]

Related Words

choke

MELTDOWN Defined for English Language Learners

meltdown

noun

Definition of meltdown for English Language Learners

: an accident in which the core of a nuclear reactor melts and releases radiation
: a very fast collapse or failure
: a very fast loss of emotional self-control