broke down

past tense of break down
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4
as in died
to stop functioning the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
as in melted 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

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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 broke down Dianna Russini of The Athletic broke down plenty of reports indicating which NFL teams are targeting what position to bolster their rosters. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025 Combs got emotional and broke down crying when Kim Porter appeared on the screen. Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025 Rory McIlroy, who has played for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in every tournament from 2010 to 2025, previously broke down the significance of the match-up and how a potential prize fund could change the meaning of the tournament. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025 Galicia Lopez broke down the front door of the residence while the other two men remained outside, prosecutors said. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025 Brent Lang, Variety‘s executive editor, also broke down the 2025 summer box office haul, reflecting on the underwhelming overall tally for the crucial frame. Andrew McGowan, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025 Netanyahu initially said Israel would conquer all of Gaza after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down in July. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025 Skenes then broke down why reliever Evan Sisk picked up his first big league victory by pitching a scoreless seventh before the Pirates took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning when Henry Davis dashed home following a wild pitch. Will Graves, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025 In the early 2000s, companies rushed into massive ERP implementations—only to abandon them when workflows broke down. Erik Greenstein, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke down
Verb
  • Led by its chief constable, Craig Guildford, WMP had advised the city’s safety advisory group (SAG) against approving an away allocation at Villa Park, owing to the fixture being classified as a high-risk event.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Prosecutors accuse Bolton of using a non-government personal email account and messaging application to transmit at least eight documents to unauthorized individuals that contained information classified at levels ranging from Secret to Top Secret.
    Pierre Thomas, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The first was that the obstacles were decomposed into cuboids.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Rivas’ cause and manner of death are still being determined by the medical examiner; the exam is taking longer than usual as the remains were severely decomposed.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Some of the material had only been discovered in the last few years and is just starting to be analyzed.
    Heather McRea, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The researchers also only analyzed stool samples, which means microbial changes in some gut regions could have been missed.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Theresa’s mother died in 2019, but her father stood with prosecutors at the news conference Wednesday.
    Lauren del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Musicians everywhere came to pay tributes to the late R&B icon D’Angelo, who died from pancreatic cancer on October 14.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The bracelet, which had belonged to Pharaoh Usermaatre Amenemope, was melted down.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Reliever Luke Weaver melted down again, and then seemed lost trying to explain it postgame.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • He was knocked down nine times.
    Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Also on Tuesday, police in Providence, Rhode Island, were investigating a vehicle crash involving ICE agents, which city officials say knocked down a utility pole not far from the city center.
    Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kathya still tears up talking about Katy’s ordeal, the slow road to recovery and how their lives were shattered that evening, a day that had begun with joy, a celebration with her best friends, many of whom grew up on the waterways in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
  • When a prosperous farming family was murdered in their own home in cold blood for no reason at all by two young male ex-cons, the image of a neat, safe, mid-20th century rural American life was shattered.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Top stars such as Shane Lowry, Brian Harman, Viktor Hovland and Michael Kim are ranked in the top 10.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Hard to believe Louisville was not ranked entering Friday night.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Broke down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20down. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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