1
as in classifying
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 decomposing
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 analyzing
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 dying
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in melting down
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 taking down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in shattering
to cause to break with violence and much noise
firefighters had to break down the wall to rescue the kitten
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaking down
Three decades later, this international liberal order is breaking down.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
This is the web version of Fortune Tech, a daily newsletter breaking down the biggest players and stories shaping the future.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
But that instinct is breaking down.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Influencers are already breaking down the steps of the dance so fellow fans can join in on the fun.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
When breaking down what the heck happened over the last four months, the first item on the list is the way New York’s starting rotation disintegrated.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Suitable for use on double spinner wheels, the rubber covers slip directly onto the exterior of the wheels to prevent them from breaking down on uneven surfaces with the help of thick, durable silicone material.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2025
But in 2025, that script is breaking down.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The clear gel feels silky, not goopy, and holds hairs in place without breaking down into flakes.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
This is the web version of Fortune Tech, a daily newsletter breaking down the biggest players and stories shaping the future.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
But that instinct is breaking down.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Influencers are already breaking down the steps of the dance so fellow fans can join in on the fun.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
When breaking down what the heck happened over the last four months, the first item on the list is the way New York’s starting rotation disintegrated.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Suitable for use on double spinner wheels, the rubber covers slip directly onto the exterior of the wheels to prevent them from breaking down on uneven surfaces with the help of thick, durable silicone material.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2025
But in 2025, that script is breaking down.
—Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The clear gel feels silky, not goopy, and holds hairs in place without breaking down into flakes.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking down
Verb
-
Related Stories In a nutsell, the test arranged by the cutter’s union documented that AI tools are great for organizing, classifying and summarizing.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Cal Fire updated Saratoga’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone map in June, classifying some southwestern portions of the city as moderate or high fire hazard zones.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bugs and scientists have long been oddball allies in the effort to understand decomposing bodies, but there's a catch.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The round spots seemed neat compared with their surroundings, clear of the layers of decomposing plankton spotted elsewhere on the seafloor.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Although further studies – such as carbon dating – are needed to determine its exact age, the team estimated the crater’s formation period by analyzing its geological structure and the extent of erosion.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The researchers found the pathogens — Salmonella enterica and Borrelia recurrentis, bacteria that cause paratyphoid fever and relapsing fever, respectively — by analyzing teeth from the fallen soldiers who were found in a mass grave uncovered in 2001 in Vilnius, Lithuania.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Singing this material with players who improvise — solos changing, every version being a little different — taught me about that urgent live-ensemble space where everyone’s living and dying by the next player onstage.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Shaw-naé explains how then-mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is dying to speak with her, how the Venmo CEO invited her to some fancy app meeting, all while Al Roker is buzzing on her phone to give an update on Friday’s upcoming dinner service.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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If those systems fail—or simply run out of diesel—the plant would have no way to stop the nuclear fuel inside those reactors from overheating and potentially melting down.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Following an intense comeback that ended with Texas taking down the Bulldogs 45-38 in overtime, Sarkisian voiced his irritation with the report.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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In 2024, Brock lost the regular-season contest 38-0 but put together a shocking bounce-back performance in the regional finals, taking down Graham 12-10 in triple overtime.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The user shared another clip in the thread that followed, showing the G1 breaking into a room like a burglar, shattering a glass door.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But to have somebody that's a main character like that actually get killed was something that was shattering to everybody.—
Sabienna Bowman,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Both are noteworthy when compared to the poll's last several years of data, ranking as the highest disapproval number in either term so far, and the lowest approval rating of his second term.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
All of that has contributed to Dallas ranking dead last in the NBA in offense.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20down. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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