nervous breakdown
noun
: an attack of mental or emotional disorder especially when of sufficient severity to require hospitalization
Examples of nervous breakdown in a Sentence
She had a nervous breakdown shortly after her sister's death.
He is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
Recent Examples on the Web
George's lawyer had said the student left Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu and transferred to another high school in a different Houston area district after suffering a nervous breakdown over the thought of facing another year of punishment.
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CBS News, 4 Oct. 2024
Broke and suffering a nervous breakdown, the title character moves in with her sister (Sally Hawkins) and blows up her life, too, affecting relationships and finally ending up with the only person who'll deal with her.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
It’s pitched right in the actor’s sweet spot, between acerbic wit and rapidly approaching a nervous breakdown.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2024
This woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown is running the line like the Navy.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nervous breakdown 
CBS News, 4 Oct. 2024
Broke and suffering a nervous breakdown, the title character moves in with her sister (Sally Hawkins) and blows up her life, too, affecting relationships and finally ending up with the only person who'll deal with her.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024
It’s pitched right in the actor’s sweet spot, between acerbic wit and rapidly approaching a nervous breakdown.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2024
This woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown is running the line like the Navy.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nervous breakdown
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nervous breakdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Nervous breakdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nervous%20breakdown. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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