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
Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 June 2025
Just like how the barrier has broken down between A-list actors appearing on film versus TV (see: every Taylor Sheridan drama), performers are now jumping a similar divide between scripted and unscripted.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 17 June 2025
The breakdown is now 50 percent e-commerce, 30 percent retail and 20 percent wholesale.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
In the absence of Puff’s testimony, his legal team will continue trying to break down the prosecution’s arguments, testimonies, and evidence, suggesting that his accusers are money hungry or fame-driven, thus lacking credibility.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 18 June 2025
Just like how the barrier has broken down between A-list actors appearing on film versus TV (see: every Taylor Sheridan drama), performers are now jumping a similar divide between scripted and unscripted.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Noun
The mayor’s office provided a breakdown of the city’s prior $91 million estimate.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 17 June 2025
The breakdown is now 50 percent e-commerce, 30 percent retail and 20 percent wholesale.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
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This component classifies requests and forwards to the WAF just the ones needing inspection, such as dynamic content requests, and offloads the WAF by caching responses.—
Alexander Krizhanovsky,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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The shooting now classified as a-homicide was the third killing reported during a violent weekend in Kansas City, as temperatures soared above 90 degrees across the region.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2025
Verb
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Read Next National Son arrested two decades after dad found decomposing in NH home, officials say June 18, 2025 12:40 PM Read Next National 75-year-old found dead during welfare check, Delaware troopers say.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2025
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Then there was the time in 1986 when vandals broke into a crypt and stole the decomposing head of a woman, which was found under a car outside the grounds.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Create a system to analyze triggers and leverage them for self-development.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Get out of the way, nerds, some of us cool kids are trying to analyze decades-old YouTube sports clips.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
At some point during our new Gilded Age, as the United States and the world have become more unequal, did Prince Charming die?—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
21 June 2025
-
Roberts died at 90 years old in her sleep from natural causes in April 2016.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
The album first cracked the top 10 on the Billboard 200 on the chart dated Aug. 31, 1985, and first reached No. 1 on the chart dated March 8, 1986.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
25 June 2025
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Whoever cracks this first could use a first mover’s advantage to build a hard-to-beat flywheel of highly engaged, big-spending consumers that attracts partner brands and retailers that don’t want to miss out on a new growth channel.—
Jason Del Rey,
Fortune,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Then, in early 2023, the museum removed hundreds of videos from its YouTube channel and took down a digital exhibit featuring images of human remains.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
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Israel's multilayered air defense system is designed to take down incoming missives from a variety of ranges.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Verb
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In the meantime, Aimee Gutierrez, Saint’s owner, and her family have been shattered by the loss and the deaths of the other dogs.—
Sean Emery,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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These moves have shattered walls that have long kept data within the agencies that collect it.—
Julia Shapero,
The Hill,
25 June 2025
Noun
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But the high demands of a relentless industry proved too much and in late December 1964, Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown and stopped touring, becoming a full-time studio artist for the better part of more than a decade after that.—
Christina Maxouris,
CNN Money,
11 June 2025
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This looser, more straightforward approach works for the smaller scale and scope of Bottle Rocket, which begins with Luke Wilson’s Anthony leaving a voluntary treatment facility in Arizona after suffering a nervous breakdown.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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