1
as in classified
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 decomposed
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 analyzed
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 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
6
as in knocked down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in shattered
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 broke down
Talks reportedly broke down due to Meyer's lack of coaching experience in the NIL era.
—
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 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
Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 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
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Forecasters had also considered Sherrill the front-runner—Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball classified the race as Leans Democratic.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Composed of elements like proteins, fatty lipids, and sugars, the yeast biomass remaining after alcohol and drug production is typically classified as a byproduct or waste.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 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
-
Several of the production facilities that CNN analyzed have swiftly replaced villages and farmland, growing by tens of thousands of square feet in the past five years.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In The New Republic, Alex Shephard analyzed the nitty-gritty successes.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Officials said most people died from drowning as the storm triggered flash floods and caused rivers to swell above their danger levels.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
My grandmother, on the other hand, lived for another 25 years after her husband died—which meant my relationship with her extended well into my 30s.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Haddy also offers environmental benefits in terms of waste reduction and resource efficiency because their creations can be melted down and used to produce new objects.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Along with encouraging parishioners to pledge money, Cioffi asked them to donate their jewelry, to be melted down and fashioned into a crown to be affixed to a painting of the Virgin on the altarpiece.—
Susan Mulcahy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Other perennial favorites like the New Balance 550 Basketball Sneakers are sure to sell out quickly, with prices knocked down to just $47 from the original $110.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Monk knocked down a 3-pointer, dished to Sabonis for a dunk and threw down a dunk of his own as the Kings came back to cut the deficit to three at the end of the first quarter.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mamdani’s victory places him at the forefront of a global cohort of diaspora leaders who have shattered political ceilings in recent years.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Then, amid the noise, athletic director Chris McIntosh jolted the fan base by declaring that Fickell would return in 2026 — even as the Badgers sat 2-6 with an offense ranked 134th of 136 nationally.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Personal services, child care and education ranked at the top for satisfaction.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broke down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20down. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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