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
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Relevance
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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
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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
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4
as in dying
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
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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
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6
as in taking down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
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7
as in shattering
to cause to break with violence and much noise
firefighters had to break down the wall to rescue the kitten
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Cite this Entry
“Breaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20down. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.
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