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
Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Systems break down or bare their teeth.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
Here’s the breakdown on ticket prices and where to score them.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
That breaks down to an annual budget of nearly $15 billion, two times larger than the annual budget for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to the American Immigration Council report.
—Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Systems break down or bare their teeth.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
This breakdown of a model in which every single person on set is paid the same amount is a reminder that this is the perfect time to experiment with a new business model of your own.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
Here’s the breakdown on ticket prices and where to score them.
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
The department classifies Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger under its highest Level 4 advisory, warning Americans about issues of terrorism, crime, kidnapping, and more.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Those only include what the police classify as murders or non-negligent manslaughter.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Investigators later searched the Ephrata home and storage unit of Jonathan Christ Gerlach, 34, and reported finding more than 100 human skulls, long bones, mummified hands and feet, two decomposing torsos and other skeletal items.—
Mark Scolforo,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
-
For nearly two weeks before embarking on the cross-country road trip, the teenager lived with his parents’ decomposing bodies.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Another is analyzing potential arena sites to remain in Dallas, but owns prime property in Irving as a fallback.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By 1971, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Brian Jones had all died at the age of twenty-seven from drugs and alcohol.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
This year's awards season promises to deliver more inspiration, but in the meantime, do yourself a favor an invest in a quality round brush, some styling gel or pomade, and a ride-or-die can of hairspray.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Over time, the gasket can become dry and cracked, allowing hot air to enter the fridge.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Grout's biggest challenge is cracking from improper installation or too much moisture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
How could a deadly lung infection come out of seemingly nowhere take down a perfectly healthy, three-sport varsity athlete?—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
14 Jan. 2026
-
With the city in such a state of suspension, no one has bothered to take down all the Christmas lights.—
Armando Ledezma,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
There is a child whose happy world is shattered when his friends from Oz cannot make the leap into what people around him consider to be reality.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
-
John Raoux / Associated Press The Jacksonville Jaguars lost a close wild-card playoff game at home Sunday to the Buffalo Bills, shattering their Super Bowl dreams.—
Denny Alfonso,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
As for this devastated, miserable, freaked out, walking nervous breakdown of a man?—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
25 Nov. 2025
-
The 1970s were Hollywood’s nervous breakdown.—
Remy Blumenfeld,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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