1
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
when presented with the pile of files, the first thing he did was to break them down by month, order within the month, and region
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decompose
to go through decomposition
the enamel of a human tooth will begin to break down when exposed to sugar for too long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to analyze
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships
if we break the problem down into what appear to be three aspects of it, we'll have a better chance of solving it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to die
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to crack
to yield to mental or emotional stress
began to break down when he realized that he was on the verge of bankruptcy
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to take down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to shatter
to cause to break with violence and much noise
firefighters had to break down the wall to rescue the kitten
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in nervous breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse
if you don't ease your workload, you're going to have a breakdown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the breakdown of the body was arrested by the embalming process
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in analysis
the separation and identification of the parts of a whole
the boss wanted a detailed breakdown of the sales figures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break down
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
Over at the Frankenstein Place' After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet trudge through the rain and sing this hopeful and a little hymnal ballad about seeing a guiding light at the castle that will lead them to safety – not knowing yet what's in store for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
For our full breakdown of the 2025 Emmys — including Kristen's thoughts on the best and worst moments of the ceremony, more analysis on those snubs and surprises, and more — listen to the full episode of The Awardist podcast below.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
In this week’s episode of SportsBeat KC, a sports podcast from The Star and KCUR, Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney and columnist Sam McDowell break down the triumph near Gotham and look ahead to Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
Over at the Frankenstein Place' After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet trudge through the rain and sing this hopeful and a little hymnal ballad about seeing a guiding light at the castle that will lead them to safety – not knowing yet what's in store for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
For the very first episode, Fulmer will talk with his wife about the cheating scandal, the relationship breakdowns that came before it, and the aftermath.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
For our full breakdown of the 2025 Emmys — including Kristen's thoughts on the best and worst moments of the ceremony, more analysis on those snubs and surprises, and more — listen to the full episode of The Awardist podcast below.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
Organizations should classify what’s safe, semi-risky and fully restricted to avoid regulatory or security disasters.—
Cory McNeley,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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But the dogs in this new study developed the ability to classify their toys by function with no formal training, merely by playing naturally with their owners.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But it can also be released from ruminant livestock, wetlands and waste decomposing in landfills.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The severely decomposing body discovered at a Los Angeles impound lot inside a Tesla, which was found to be registered to up-and-coming singer D4vd, has been identified as a missing Inland Empire teen whose death may soon launch a homicide investigation.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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These entries, laying out a monthslong plot in excruciating detail, revealed multiple visits to Tops Friendly Markets to survey the store’s layout and analyze a Google graph feature for the location’s busiest times.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
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This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Josh Jung’s two-out swinging bunt died on the infield near the third-base line and plated Joc Pederson, who had opened the frame with a ground-rule double and advanced to third on Adolis Garcia’s groundout.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Unlike most mass shooters who expect to die during their attacks, an expert tells Fox News Digital that Robinson devised escape routes and left behind a detailed digital trail.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That was more than enough to truly crack American radio and sell an avalanche of CDs, cassettes, and concert tickets far beyond Albion’s shores.—
Jesse Adams,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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By definition, Kerberoasting attacks work only when a password is weak enough to be cracked, raising questions about the strength of the one the Ascension ransomware attackers compromised.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Of course, don't read too much into those wins, as the team only beat UConn 27-20 before taking down FCS program Colgate last weekend.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Ever since, the ruling has put the onus on retailers and brands to police online marketplaces themselves, conduct test buys to find counterfeit products and submit requests to have the items taken down.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Paige Tortorelli,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has identified the driver and passenger of a white pickup truck alleged to be throwing objects at moving cars and shattering their windshields, according to a sheriff’s social media post.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
19 Sep. 2025
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Black Rabbit is a propulsive thrill ride and character examination about the way an unbreakable bond between two brothers can shatter their world and everything in its orbit.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That character is Mike Tyler (Chris Evans), a Hollywood star recovering from a recent nervous breakdown and attending a garish eco-friendly charity party for the super-super-rich that’s being held in a fantastically austere Greek mine.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
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One powerful scene in episode 2 shows Knox having a nervous breakdown when she is taken back to the scene of the crime and asked to open the knife drawer in the kitchen to determine if any are missing in an effort to locate the murder weapon.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.
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