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
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
Over at the Frankenstein Place' After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet trudge through the rain and sing this hopeful and a little hymnal ballad about seeing a guiding light at the castle that will lead them to safety – not knowing yet what's in store for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
While Levi’s reported that 96 percent of its cotton from certified sources, the brand did not provide a breakdown.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
In this week’s episode of SportsBeat KC, a sports podcast from The Star and KCUR, Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney and columnist Sam McDowell break down the triumph near Gotham and look ahead to Sunday’s home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 23 Sep. 2025
Over at the Frankenstein Place' After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet trudge through the rain and sing this hopeful and a little hymnal ballad about seeing a guiding light at the castle that will lead them to safety – not knowing yet what's in store for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025
Noun
See video … LISTEN Tune in to the FOX NEWS RUNDOWN PODCAST for a breakdown of the new fight over masks in California.
—FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025
While Levi’s reported that 96 percent of its cotton from certified sources, the brand did not provide a breakdown.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
At the time, that specimen was classified as Harpiola grisea, a related species.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
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The Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service and other federal law enforcement agencies also would participate in investigations, and Attorney General Pam Bondi is directed to submit a list of groups to classify as domestic terrorist organizations.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The first was that the obstacles were decomposed into cuboids.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
25 Sep. 2025
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Police later sawed open the floor to expose Grimes’ decomposing 135-pound body.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Bluebonnet Reading’s biblical content creates controversy Religion professors from Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University have analyzed the curriculum, which has little acknowledgement of other religions such as Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Sep. 2025
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The Brits and Irish were desperate for a change in fortune, so their captain Dai Rees analyzed the playing styles of the two teams and figured out a winning strategy.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The way people typically die in intersections is often because of head-on and T-bone crashes, which the roundabout design addresses, Bryson said.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
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Uzbek artist Feruza Kholkhujaeva filled courtyards with potted plants that will slowly die, a portrait of grief.—
Dada Jovanovic,
ABC News,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fall is the perfect time to plant milkweed, Timm said, because the plants need to overwinter, allowing the cold to crack their seeds open.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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The vomit situation was cracking me up that that was on TV.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s all fine and dandy, but watching these two numbskulls, like Pinky and the Brain with lobotomies, try to take down Tamra is not fun.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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Here's everything to know about the former cartel kingpin's life 10 years after the FBI took down his global drug empire.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Finally, impact strength assesses a material’s ability to absorb sudden shocks without shattering, highlighting that the hardness alone doesn’t always mean toughness.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Any sense of safety that once existed in the Qatari capital – a longtime haven for Hamas officials, with the tacit agreement of the US and Israel – has now been shattered.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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That character is Mike Tyler (Chris Evans), a Hollywood star recovering from a recent nervous breakdown and attending a garish eco-friendly charity party for the super-super-rich that’s being held in a fantastically austere Greek mine.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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