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

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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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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
From there, your IT department can break down and analyze the data in any way that’s useful—tracking degradation along laptop generations, targeting particularly degraded units, identifying applications with heavy battery drain, and more. —John Burek, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026 McCarthy, who’s road-tripped from his home in New York City, proceeds cautiously, stepping gently around the mess and breaking down boxes. —Malina Saval, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
With relative strength remaining poor and momentum negative, LULU appears vulnerable to a decisive breakdown. —Tony Zhang, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026 Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of some of Denver’s activity, with a month to go before commissioner Roger Goodell takes the stage at the draft in Pittsburgh. —Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Mar. 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
  • Currently Not Collectible status The IRS may classify an account as Currently Not Collectible (CNC) if a taxpayer is facing severe financial hardship.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • SmartAsset used the Pew Research definition of middle class for its report, which classifies middle class as an income between two-thirds and double a region’s median income.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of classify
Verb
  • The Rockaway Times reported the last whale to wash up on the Rockaways was in May 2025, when the decomposing humpback whale showed up on the beach.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Samantha Johnson received a 15-year, 8-month prison sentence from a Merced County Superior Court judge, ending a four-year legal saga that began in March 2022 with the discovery of Sophia’s decomposing body in this Central Valley city.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of decompose
Verb
  • The researchers spent almost two years analyzing the drone footage, applying machine learning in combination with good, old-fashioned field biology.
    — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The watches underwent 25 days of scrutiny there, analyzed via a new acoustic testing method that recorded every sound emitting from the timepiece to track irregularities, temperature sensitivities, and more in the name of all things precision.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of analyze
Verb
  • At least seven others died primarily from hypothermia inside private homes.
    — Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Amelirad said Mohammadi had participated in anti-government protests that erupted earlier that year when Mahsa Amini died in police custody after being detained for not wearing her headscarf properly.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Mar. 2026
Definition of die
Verb
  • Modern encryption uses math equations that would take conventional computers trillions of years to crack.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Now cosmologists in the international Collaboration for Observations, Models and Predictions of Anomalies and Cosmic Topology (COMPACT) have pushed, and the tidy picture is cracking.
    — Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of crack
Verb
  • Birdville takes down Argyle in pitchers duel North Richland Hills Birdville’s Reagan Jordan and Argyle’s Presley Hawkesworth dueled it out on Tuesday at Birdville High School and a lone run in the bottom of the sixth lifted the Hawks to a 1-0 win in a District 6-5A game.
    — Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
  • It was quietly taken down about a year ago.
    — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of take down
Verb
  • In some grass species shattering can be turned off by just one or two gene mutations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Glass was left shattered on the sidewalk.
    — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of shatter
Noun
  • 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
  • Mostly because Kiesling’s voice is delightful, and this chronicle of Daphne—a young mother-intellectual on the verge of a nervous breakdown—is open-hearted and unsparing about the work that goes into balancing infant care with day job.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown

Phrases Containing break down

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Cite this Entry

“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of break down for Spanish Speakers

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