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

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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
Williams is the most dangerous player on the field when a play breaks down, and primetime road games tend to bring out the scrambles. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 Ra’am now wants to join the government Segalovitz acknowledged that his background was part of his appeal yet said his larger goal was to break down barriers harming Israeli society. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
Users enter their email address and zip code to receive a breakdown of what is in their water, giving the brand a way to explain the potential impact on skin and hair in seconds. — Karin Eldor, Vogue, 11 Nov. 2026 The simplest explanation for why an all-White Big 3 has yet to win a championship is the racial breakdown of the NBA. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 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
  • For American buyers, the federal government classifies three-wheelers as motorcycles.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The problem with this, Profitmind said, is that these approaches don’t work efficiently at scale, especially across large, frequently changing assortments wherein retailers describe and classify comparable products differently.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of classify
Verb
  • Loggers found the teenagers’ decomposing bodies in the forest, one of them tied to a tree with electrical wire, prosecutors said.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Fall leaves create a natural mulch, which helps suppress weeds and improves the soil with organic matter as the leaves decompose.
    — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration analyzed 2017 data on diving tourism around artificial and natural reefs.
    — Henry Larson, NPR, 12 Nov. 2026
  • In the past year alone, his department, among the largest in the country, has analyzed nearly 18,000 of these works.
    — Kelley Engelbrecht, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of analyze
Verb
  • Stacy Keach, an actor known for playing detective Mike Hammer, has died at age 85.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • His longtime partner, Evans Richardson, died in April 2023, and he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome that same August.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of die
Verb
  • As if Helen were not already obviously out of sorts, her knowing less about the mission than Laila does and being wholly unprepared to crack a high-end safe makes the whole evening a bit much.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Todd Wash cracked a few jokes in his first press conference as Carolina Panthers’ interim defensive coordinator on Thursday.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of crack
Verb
  • Our reforms will mean these workers will be busy, putting up and taking down better looking sheds on faster timelines.
    — Ahmed Tigani, New York Daily News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The questions about the papers were so significant that SSRN, the platform Polson used to share the research papers, took down the articles over the past month and froze the accounts used to post the works.
    — TODD WALLACK THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of take down
Verb
  • The roadway was left shattered and burning wreckage dotted the crater, video from CNN affiliate WPBF showed.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia closed on Saturday after more than three decades of successive missions that helped rebuild a country shattered by civil war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of shatter
Noun
  • From the very start, the students assigned as guards went on cruel power trips and repeatedly humiliated — if not psychologically tortured — the inmates, to the point that some of the prisoners suffered nervous breakdowns.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
  • As rumors grew about why Talarico was not seen in public during one of the tightest campaigns in the country, Paxton suggested that the Democratic hopeful had suffered a nervous breakdown of some kind.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown

Phrases Containing break down

Browse Nearby Words

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 14 Nov. 2026.

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