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
Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Emma Specter, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
See a breakdown of Morris’ first recruiting class at Oklahoma State below.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
Brian Keith, founder of BryGuides, joins the latest episode of the In Your Corner podcast from CBS News Philadelphia to break down how credit card points can dramatically cut your travel costs.
—Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
The 2026 Winter Olympics will kick off on Friday, February 6, and run through Sunday, February 22; a full schedule and breakdown of events by time can be found here.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
See a breakdown of Morris’ first recruiting class at Oklahoma State below.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
Without that key step, you can’t be classified as a true star; the presence of those fusion reactions, where hydrogen gets fused into helium, separates stars from all other heavenly bodies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Jurors were asked to decide whether Uber, through its branding and actions, led Dean to reasonably believe her driver was acting on Uber’s behalf — even though drivers are classified as independent contractors.—
Miguel Torres,
Oklahoman,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This creates 22,000 metric tons of waste that can take up to 120 years to decompose, making these bulky items one of the most difficult and persistent challenges in modern recycling.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
-
His work on Prototaxites fossils has shown that the ancient organisms didn’t use photosynthesis to produce energy from light like plants, but likely consumed carbon sources in the environment — just as some living fungi live off decomposing organic matter.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Detectives are canvassing the neighborhood, reviewing surveillance footage and analyzing digital data, including cellphone information, according to Arizona police.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
-
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Giuffre died by suicide last year at age 41.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Lauryn Hill will perform a tribute to D'Angelo, who died of cancer in October at the age of 51, and Roberta Flack, who died in February at age 88.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The idea, from the very beginning, was to ease viewers into a new day with amiable hosts who covered the news, cracked jokes and fit right into viewers’ at-home routines.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The walkway is cracked and the color of (somewhat) pink Peeps.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Government crypto operations are the stuff of lore, from the arrest of Ross Ulbricht, architect of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, to the multinational effort to take down child exploitation site Welcome to Video.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The webpage that was taken down also listed that construction would take place from 2023 to 2025.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But her plans were shattered when a family member called her and said Nancy was missing.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
When several landmasses collided to form the supercontinent Pangea long before the dinosaurs, Earth’s crust shattered into discrete blocks and folded like a rug pushed against a wall, rising to form mountains spanning from the Appalachians to the Atlas.—
Evan Howell,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As for this devastated, miserable, freaked out, walking nervous breakdown of a man?—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
25 Nov. 2025
-
The 1970s were Hollywood’s nervous breakdown.—
Remy Blumenfeld,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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