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break down 1 of 2

verb

Definition of break downnext
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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to die
to stop functioning the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced

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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

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6
as in to take down
to take apart the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived

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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

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breakdown

2 of 2

noun

ˈbrāk-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce breakdown (audio)
1
as in nervous breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse if you don't ease your workload, you're going to have a breakdown

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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

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3
as in analysis
the separation and identification of the parts of a whole the boss wanted a detailed breakdown of the sales figures

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word break down distinct from other similar verbs?

The words analyze and dissect are common synonyms of break down. While all three words mean "to divide a complex whole into its parts or elements," break down implies a reducing to simpler parts or divisions.

break down the budget

When is it sensible to use analyze instead of break down?

Although the words analyze and break down have much in common, analyze suggests separating or distinguishing the component parts of something (such as a substance, a process, a situation) so as to discover its true nature or inner relationships.

analyzed the collected data

When could dissect be used to replace break down?

While in some cases nearly identical to break down, dissect suggests a searching analysis by laying bare parts or pieces for individual scrutiny.

commentators dissected every word of the speech

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of break down
Verb
And this, according to Penrose’s hypothesis, developed independently by the Hungarian physicist Lajos Diósi, is where quantum mechanics should break down. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 With their lineup and pitching continuity broken down, the Giants have used 66 players this year, matching their franchise record. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court was symbolic as South Korea has no clear way to force the North to pay amid a diplomatic breakdown. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 See below for a full breakdown of tour dates, both in 2026 and 2027, and how to get tickets. — Trisha Easto, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
  1. classify
  2. decompose
  3. analyze
  4. die
  5. crack
  6. take down
  7. shatter
  8. nervous breakdown
Verb
  • The department does not classify its calls by snake type, the spokesperson said.
    — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The petition sought to classify data centers as industrial nuisances, arguing that a ban would protect residents’ property and preserve city resources, such as water and electricity.
    — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of classify
Verb
  • McGraw said their policy is to allow carcasses to decompose naturally, which is similar to rules followed by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, Cotter said.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Most of the remains were severely decomposed, but investigators believed Montgomery had been dead for less than a day when he was found.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • When disruption hits, agents can then analyze the orders exposed to the delay, identify the materials that will run short and point to alternatives that have already cleared approval.
    — Alex Saric, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • My goal is to analyze financial markets by taking a longer view of history, and to give broader context to recent events.
    — Kelly Evans, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of analyze
Verb
  • About a quarter of the animals died either upon arrival or within days after, Jaros said.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Her dying words to her brother Ned are her wish that her son be free to choose his own path.
    — Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of die
Verb
  • The poll also showed that crime did not crack the top five most important issues.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The actor Martinez also joins in on the creaturely fun by doubling as Chupacabrón, a wise-cracking cryptid who guides Yamel through the underworld.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of crack
Verb
  • Meanwhile, on Monday night, severe thunderstorms and damaging wind gusts between 70 and 83 miles per hour took down power lines and trees in the plains of Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • By nightfall, the protests turned violent, people hurling bricks and taking down the American flag in favor of the Confederate colors.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of take down
Verb
  • Last week a number of concerned mathematicians, many of them at the top of their subject, launched the Association for Human Mathematics (AHM)—an effort that was underway even before the earth-shattering Navier-Stokes news.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Maya’s fear of commitment mirrors the film’s fear of showing us anything truly ugly or grappling with the idea that our heroine is one of many, many people who lost someone during a society-shattering number of years.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of shatter
Noun
  • Gloria Steinem attributed her mother's nervous breakdown before she was born, and her treatment in mental institutions and the workforce thereafter, as key to her interest in social injustices.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In 1944 her parents divorced, and 10-year-old Gloria was left to take care of her mother, a once-promising journalist who struggled to combine her work with running a household and who eventually suffered a nervous breakdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown

Phrases Containing break down

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break bread
break down
breakdown
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Cite this Entry

“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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