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
Carbonfact is launching a free and opensource database that breaks down the environmental impact of production processes in the fashion industry into smaller and more accurate bits of information.
—
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
2 July 2026
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—
Daniel De Visé,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Below, Akinnuoye-Agbaje breaks down the climactic episode, explaining why Alamo decides to let Rue kill herself and why Bishop betrays him.
—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Below, Silvera breaks down the Season 2 filming of the Marvel series, the emotional layers of a fight scene, and what to expect in the next season.
—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
And then, there’s the leader, who breaks down just about every huddle when the team comes off the field and prepares to bat.
—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
25 May 2026
And after 134,387 steps — which breaks down to about 67 miles — my feet still felt surprisingly fresh, with no aches or sweaty toes.
—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Brisket is a tough, richly marbled cut that only turns tender after hours of low-and-slow cooking, when connective tissue breaks down and fat renders into the meat.
—
Paula Disbrowe,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 May 2026
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
2 July 2026
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—
Daniel De Visé,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Below, Akinnuoye-Agbaje breaks down the climactic episode, explaining why Alamo decides to let Rue kill herself and why Bishop betrays him.
—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Below, Silvera breaks down the Season 2 filming of the Marvel series, the emotional layers of a fight scene, and what to expect in the next season.
—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
And then, there’s the leader, who breaks down just about every huddle when the team comes off the field and prepares to bat.
—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
25 May 2026
And after 134,387 steps — which breaks down to about 67 miles — my feet still felt surprisingly fresh, with no aches or sweaty toes.
—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Brisket is a tough, richly marbled cut that only turns tender after hours of low-and-slow cooking, when connective tissue breaks down and fat renders into the meat.
—
Paula Disbrowe,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks down
Verb
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Leaving Boise State as the winningest quarterback in college football history, Moore enjoyed a short NFL career as a backup before turning to the coaching ranks with the Dallas Cowboys.
-
Why Lawrence, Kansas ranks high The article goes into the history of Lawrence, summarizing the establishment of the town by abolitionists, political violence, and being a stop for the Underground Railroad.
Verb
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The research team enabled a room-temperature, four-electron chemical reaction path that forms and decomposes lithium oxide, which expands available energy storage.
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Organic material trapped in reservoirs accumulates and decomposes over time, releasing methane — a potent greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to global warming, Fernández-Garrido told CNN.
Verb
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Thisfinding was published early Friday from World Weather Attribution, a scientific network which analyzes the role of climate change in driving extreme weather events.
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The tool, developed by independent AI engineer Luke Geel, analyzes past results and players’ activity—from posture to blink rate—spotting connections that might be imperceptible to the average viewer but visible to top pros.
Verb
-
Not obsessed One Wish Willow Nikki, but actual Nikki, now awoken from her curse when Bear dies.
-
Village People singer dies at 74 Willis was known for often performing with Village People in costume as a Navy admiral or police officer.
Verb
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The wedding — and especially Cassie and Nate’s dance, as Cassie melts down on the day she’s spent her life dreaming of, having learned about the deep financial hole Nate is in — must have felt especially layered.
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The snowpack acts as a natural water storage system for California, and ideally when the region’s climate shifts from cold to warm and dry, the snow gradually melts down from rivers and creeks to fill reservoirs over a period of months.
Verb
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The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.
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Kennedale takes down Van Alstyne Senior guards Jacoby Lovings and Trey Smith scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, as Kennedale defeated Van Alstyne 60-47 in a Class 4A Division II area-round game on Friday at Little Elm Braswell High School.
Verb
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But now a new ultralight player shatters the silence with an impressive solo tent that not only drops in right around 2 lb (907 oz) but does it at half the price of some of the competition.
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When a window shatters, your entire home is at risk of collapse or even being blown away.
Verb
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This is about a shape that classifies other shapes.
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The gray-market vendors selling vials for $300 to $600 each, as reported by the Associated Press, operate outside that process regardless of how the FDA classifies the underlying substance.
Cite this Entry
“Breaks down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20down. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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