BREAKING DOWN Synonyms: 224 Similar and Opposite Words

breaking down

verb

present participle of break down

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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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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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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as in dying

to stop functioning the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced

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starting (up)

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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as in taking down

to take apart the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived

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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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of breaking down Oil shortages and obsolete power stations constantly breaking down have made daily hours-long blackouts the new normal. —

Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026 Others are also said to be on the verge of breaking down. —

Jermont Terry, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking down

Verb

This means OpenAI is essentially classifying the model as capable enough at coding to potentially facilitate significant cyber harm, especially if automated or used at scale.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Young Women’s Leadership Academy has students in grades 6-12 and has an 85% minority population, with 65% of total students classifying as Hispanic and 20% as African-American.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2026