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
Ryan Brennan
may 13, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
When the Capability Gap keeps widening, the relationship between effort and outcome breaks down.
—Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
While most efforts to combat domestic violence focus on victims, survivors and breakdowns in systems meant to protect them, one Cook County program is shifting the work to the abusers and breaking the cycle of violence.
—Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
Add them after the mixture has cooled so the heat doesn’t break down the scent.
—Ryan Brennan
may 13, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
When the Capability Gap keeps widening, the relationship between effort and outcome breaks down.
—Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Noun
The project cost $13 million, but Moncrief declined to provide a breakdown for that cost.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
While most efforts to combat domestic violence focus on victims, survivors and breakdowns in systems meant to protect them, one Cook County program is shifting the work to the abusers and breaking the cycle of violence.
—Marissa Perlman, CBS News, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
Another pair of wins from KPop Demon Hunters, which are attached to the evil boy band Saja Boys, cracked the top 10 as well, and several members – the group is made up of Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and Samuil Lee – are usually classified as K-pop artists.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Final thoughts For context, my backyard sky falls somewhere between 7 and 8 on the Bortle scale, a nine-level system used by astronomers to classify the brightness of the night sky and the impact of light pollution.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
From a nearby dumpster there came the sweet and musty smell of decomposing seafood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Samples analyzed at Bordeaux University Hospital confirmed an outbreak of norovirus.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
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,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
And while this year ultimately produced notable wins for healthcare policy, business organizations were also frustrated by legislators on that front as well, pointing to a bill that would have allowed for association health plans that died in the Appropriations Committee.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
At least three people have died from the rare virus’s recent outbreak, marking a total of 11 cases as of May 13, according to the World Health Organization.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
The world cracked open, and now everyone’s striving to fit the jagged pieces back into a box called civilized society.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
And given that cement is one of the tougher nuts to crack in the struggle to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, concrete solutions are welcome.—
Scott K. Johnson,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Mural honoring murdered refugee Iryna Zarutska taken down after outrage.—
,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
-
Roberts opened up the space by taking down office partitions in the roughly 1,500-square-foot store, 3941 Park Drive, Suite 80.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Around the same time as the engagement photo shoots, the brides-to-be start mending their porcelain plates, which were ceremoniously shattered so the brides-to-be could mend them.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
When her husband Karl finds her after years of searching, that hope is shattered, forcing her to return to Vienna – into a society that once sought to erase her.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 May 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 19 May. 2026.
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