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 However, only a few metals—mainly platinum—can perform efficiently in such environments without breaking down. —

Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026 McCarthy, who’s road-tripped from his home in New York City, proceeds cautiously, stepping gently around the mess and breaking down boxes. —

Malina Saval, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026 The episode then ends with Carolyn breaking down, begging John not to leave. —

Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026 Old Man Ross over here is literally breaking down on the job. —

Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026 Its acidity helps cut through grime, dissolving dirt and breaking down grease and mineral deposits. —

Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026 For his debut live event, Devon and his special guests are breaking down ridiculous lyrics, taking fan submissions, and getting into the bars that shaped us, betrayed us, and honestly raised some questions. —

Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026 With the war increasingly breaking down along the country’s predominant Arab and African ethnic groups, Sudan faces the task of rebuilding a national identity along with all the other trappings of a state. —

Cameron Hudson, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026 Spring training is here and SportsDay’s Rangers insiders Evan Grant and Shawn McFarland are on the scene breaking down the latest from Texas’ camp. —

Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking down

Verb

Like Wright’s past games, this one would be about tinkering, about trial and error, about classifying and reclassifying and watching as one’s psyche-map changed.

— Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
That includes House Bill 1117, which would require Maryland Medicaid and other state programs to cover monitoring devices by classifying them as medical equipment for individuals at higher risk of elopement.

— Danielle J. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026