BREAKS DOWN Synonyms: 220 Similar and Opposite Words

breaks down

verb

present tense third-person singular of break down

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

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Relevance

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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

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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

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as in dies

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

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starts (up)

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

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as in takes down

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

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as in shatters

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 breaks down The latest monthly budget update on the national debt and its interest burden, shared on May 8, breaks down the government’s income and outgoings for the fiscal year so far, which began in October. —

Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 May 2026 Quince actually breaks down the price for each item on its site, revealing the cost for materials, packaging, freight and handling, duties, taxes and other fees. —

Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 11 May 2026 The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news. —

Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 11 May 2026 The report breaks down teacher salaries by state and region, too. —

Cory Turner, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026 That said, not every set breaks down exactly this way—and that's fine. —

Jamie Thilman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026 Hydrolysis is a chemical process that breaks down molecules. —

Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 20 Apr. 2026 From the moment of his election, Leo has sought to offer a leadership that breaks down divisions. —

Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026 Ookla also breaks down the user test samples by Wi-Fi generation, offering a glimpse of how many Americans are stuck on older wireless standards and could use an upgrade. —

Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks down

Verb

Kamara ranks seventh for take-ons per 90 minutes among Premier League midfielders and fourth for fouls suffered.

— Gregg Evans, New York Times, 13 May 2026
Austin, Texas ranks third in the nation, but despite high costs of flights to get into the city.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 12 May 2026