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
Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026
Efforts were made to extend, but trust had broken down because debts to crew and suppliers had not been settled, and financing was not guaranteed.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Allison Palmer
updated June 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Prices are way up, yes, but falling in recent weeks, per a super interesting breakdown (with great visuals) today.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
Not smooth, but it's just completely broken down.
—Emily Elias, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026
Efforts were made to extend, but trust had broken down because debts to crew and suppliers had not been settled, and financing was not guaranteed.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Noun
After 50, the breakdown starts winning.
—Allison Palmer
updated June 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
Prices are way up, yes, but falling in recent weeks, per a super interesting breakdown (with great visuals) today.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
Those with motors of a certain size are legally classified as mopeds or motorcycles and cannot legally be ridden by anyone younger than age 16.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Most of the people at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Central Pennsylvania don't have a criminal record and are classified as low-security detainees, said Deluzio, who lives in Fox Chapel and represents parts of Allegheny County and all of Beaver County.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the latest challenges is hydrogen sulfide – a foul-smelling gas given off by decomposing bat droppings inside the chamber, that caused some crew members to faint, Kengkad told CNN.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
Microbes create oxygen in the atmosphere, decompose waste material, and help plants absorb nutrients.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
28 May 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,
4 June 2026
-
The Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance (LP-IR) Test estimates the body’s response to insulin by analyzing patterns in blood fats and assigning a score from zero to 100.—
Samantha Agate,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Australia's only other fatal shark attack this year occurred in January, when a 12-year-old boy died in a hospital days after he was mauled by a bull shark in Sydney Harbor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
-
In January, a 12-year-old also died a week after he was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbor.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Minimizing soil disturbance is practiced in the springtime to loosen the soil by using a garden fork and sliding it into the soil at about a 30-degree angle, lifting up to just barely crack the soil.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Then the German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch cracked industrial nitrogen fixation in 1909, and the practical significance of the problem receded.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But the ranking of England players left a sour taste, and Capello had to demand that they were taken down.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Most, but not all, of the packages had been taken down in the hours following the incident.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Over the prairie there would be lightning that evening, dropping in shattering bolts from swollen purple clouds.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Standard polystyrene shattered or punctured easily under the stress.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
This happened years before, in such a serious way that my friend had to take a three-month medical leave of absence due to what was likely a nervous breakdown.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
When their news anchor (Peter Finch) has a nervous breakdown on the air, suddenly their ratings turn around, bringing on a moral morass only some of them are prepared to face.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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