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
Meg Anderson, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
After entering the list of top ten NASCAR drivers who have won the most Cup races, Hamlin broke down in his car.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
The breakdown of the relationship coincided with Gage’s borderline personality disorder diagnosis.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
In late September, federal officers broke down doors and arrested dozens of people during a massive apartment raid on Chicago's south side.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
After entering the list of top ten NASCAR drivers who have won the most Cup races, Hamlin broke down in his car.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
If the Broncos clean up a few breakdowns, this is a blowout.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
The breakdown of the relationship coincided with Gage’s borderline personality disorder diagnosis.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
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Related Stories In a nutsell, the test arranged by the cutter’s union documented that AI tools are great for organizing, classifying and summarizing.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
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Police and the media classified Gacy’s victims as male prostitutes and homosexuals, using that as an excuse to marginalize and blame them.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to the study, Igatuia Cavernicola likely plays an important role in its cave ecosystem by eating decomposing organic matter, thereby cycling nutrients and contributing to the habitat’s overall health and function.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
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Use a mulching mower to chop the leaves into small pieces that will decompose quickly and add nutrients to the soil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Scientists are advancing the use of muon scattering tomography to analyze nuclear fuel debris from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Oct. 2025
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Barry regularly meets with economists from major banks to analyze data and metrics related to consumer health and then translates those insights into action.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In April this year, 11 people — including two children — died when a bus flipped on its side in the southeastern corner of the country.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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Older people who earn less than $20,000 a year die nine years sooner on average than those who earn $120,000 or more, according to a study by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and University of Massachusetts Boston's LeadingAge LTSS Center.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But Uchis never expected to crack the bilingual code this effectively.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
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That would track with current projections, which have four movies expected to crack double digits in total nominations on Oscar morning.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Dodgers were able to accomplish their goal in 2024, taking down the New York Yankees in the World Series.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are 4-2 and are looking to become the first back-to-back NFC East champs in two decades, but the Commanders are 3-3, and the New York Giants moved to a surprising 2-4 after taking down the Eagles last week.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tessa Ia leads the series as Valeria Goldberg, a young woman in a Jewish-Mexican community who makes a mistake that shatters her world and forces her into a desperate fight to find her missing children.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
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When a prosperous farming family was murdered in their own home in cold blood for no reason at all by two young male ex-cons, the image of a neat, safe, mid-20th century rural American life was shattered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Schmitt suffers a nervous breakdown after his arrogance (and Webber’s long leash on the residency program) leads to him killing a podcaster on the operating table and these two break up again.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
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But, of course, the producers didn't want Caroline to have a nervous breakdown.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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