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

After the bullpen suffered another meltdown in Friday’s 6-5 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field, Boone fended off questions about the status of the unit. —Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 5 July 2025

But, after the announcement prompted a market meltdown, the president hit pause for 90 days to allow time for negotiations with individual counties, although high taxes were left in place on imports from China. —Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025

Verb

Falling home prices are raising the risk of a deeper correction as the housing market cracks under high mortgage rates Jason Ma Newsletters New York’s tech elite are melting down over the election of Zohran Mamdani. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 June 2025

Continue reading … 'DEVASTATING LOSS' – Media melts down over Supreme Court decision on gender transition ban for kids. —FOXNews.com, 19 June 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)