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
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Relevance
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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
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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
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4
as in dies
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
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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
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6
as in takes down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
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7
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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Cite this Entry
“Breaks down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20down. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.
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