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
Originally published in 1961, the novel follows Josephine, a young woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Then there was Spark’s nervous breakdown in January 1954.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
Or perhaps Christie had a bout of amnesia or a nervous breakdown and traveled confusedly around England, as many of her biographers and her own doctors have suggested.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 24 July 2025
Her father, Edwin, was a lawyer with a dangerous relationship with booze, and her mother, also named Amelia but called Amy, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nervous breakdown
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Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Then there was Spark’s nervous breakdown in January 1954.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
Or perhaps Christie had a bout of amnesia or a nervous breakdown and traveled confusedly around England, as many of her biographers and her own doctors have suggested.
—Emily Zarevich, JSTOR Daily, 24 July 2025
Her father, Edwin, was a lawyer with a dangerous relationship with booze, and her mother, also named Amelia but called Amy, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nervous breakdown
Cite this Entry
“Nervous breakdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nervous%20breakdown. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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