1
as in ranks
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 decomposes
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 analyzes
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 dies
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in melts 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 takes down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in shatters
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 breaks down
Its gentle formula expertly breaks down makeup without leaving my skin feeling dry and tight.
—
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Plus, Rick Klein breaks down the races from New York City to Virginia to California.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Their new trend report breaks down destinations gaining the most buzz – and a few American getaways cracked the list of international gems.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
The video above breaks down all the factors that have led to the Bears run game getting back on track.
—Robert Mays, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Shortly after, Kate breaks down and apologizes to Hal, begging him to take her back.
—Trish Deitch, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Read on as Entertainment Weekly breaks down those questions and explores the ending of The Woman in Cabin 10.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Ashley breaks down Micah Parsons' trip to Dallas to reunite with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and the Giants' decision to start rookie Jaxson Dart over Russell Wilson.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Plus, Rick Klein breaks down the races from New York City to Virginia to California.
—ABC News, 2 Nov. 2025
Their new trend report breaks down destinations gaining the most buzz – and a few American getaways cracked the list of international gems.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
The video above breaks down all the factors that have led to the Bears run game getting back on track.
—Robert Mays, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Shortly after, Kate breaks down and apologizes to Hal, begging him to take her back.
—Trish Deitch, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Read on as Entertainment Weekly breaks down those questions and explores the ending of The Woman in Cabin 10.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025
Ashley breaks down Micah Parsons' trip to Dallas to reunite with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and the Giants' decision to start rookie Jaxson Dart over Russell Wilson.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks down
Verb
-
Out of five types of exercise, resistance training ranks highest in improving overall brain health.—
Marisa McMillan,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Detroit, Michigan WalletHub's study includes a more comprehensive analysis that ranks 182 cities based on 31 key metrics that also include factors like average commute time, safety and family friendliness.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The research team developed a route-planning system for Astrobee, the ISS’s robotic assistant, that leverages sequential convex programming—a method that decomposes complex trajectory planning into smaller, tractable steps while guaranteeing safety and feasibility.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Shilajit is a mineral-rich resin that forms over centuries as plant material slowly decomposes under heat and pressure within the rocks of the Himalayan Mountains.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
27 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Once the download is complete, Oh analyzes the images using a program designed to detect various forms of nudity or undress.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
It’s estimated that one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease in the US.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
When Nora and Agnes’ mother dies, the siblings gather friends and loved ones in the home for a memorial.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Every wildfire that takes down a transmission line, every flood that swallows a road, every heatwave that makes a solar farm falter all slow the very systems meant to replace fossil fuels.—
Natalie Unterstell,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
After the gang successfully takes down Godolkin by embracing supe differences and leaning on their collective power, Polarity ultimately makes the choice to stay behind, charging himself with taking care of the rest of the school’s young supes.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Continue reading … RISE UP – Catholic conference shatters attendance records as 26,000 young people flock to faith event.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The drop shatters a plate from Andrew's mother's irreplaceable collection of heirloom china and prompts Andrew to fire Enzo.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The machine learning algorithm, meanwhile, classifies and identifies stationary objects that could lead to collisions.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
-
While recipes vary, the glycemic index (GI)—a scale from one to 100 that measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar—of gingerbread cookies is about 66, which classifies them as a high-glycemic food, according to Alexandria Hardy, RDN, LDN, owner of Pennsylvania Nutrition Services.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The debris — space rocks known as meteoroids — collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Doris Alvarez Cea,
Florida Times-Union,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20down. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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