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
Here’s how the top 10 broke down — and what put each state on the list.
—
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
With that, Shaboozey broke down, squeezing the bridge of his nose to suppress tears.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Feb. 2026
Former offensive lineman Randy Cross broke down in tears upon seeing pictures of 49ers teammates who have since passed.
—Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Then applicants came swarming in before catalogs were ready, and adding to the mid-summer madness, Mid-Florida Tech’s presses broke down, delaying catalog printing another week.
—Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Several broke down in tears as hours passed with no news from prison authorities, who activists say refuse to confirm even whether specific detainees are being held inside.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
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
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
With that, Shaboozey broke down, squeezing the bridge of his nose to suppress tears.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Feb. 2026
Former offensive lineman Randy Cross broke down in tears upon seeing pictures of 49ers teammates who have since passed.
—Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Then applicants came swarming in before catalogs were ready, and adding to the mid-summer madness, Mid-Florida Tech’s presses broke down, delaying catalog printing another week.
—Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Several broke down in tears as hours passed with no news from prison authorities, who activists say refuse to confirm even whether specific detainees are being held inside.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke down
Verb
-
Property annexed to the village is automatically classified as single family.—
Linda Girardi,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
But in 2026, that dream may be out of reach, with recent studies suggesting that the average middle-class worker would need to save for 52 years to be classified as wealthy.—
Alexa Beck,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fifty-six days later, homicide investigators arrive at Oliver’s apartment to find an unidentified body—brutally murdered and intentionally decomposed.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The body was decomposed, a fire official said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After the Apollo samples were returned to Earth and analyzed, textbooks were updated with a wealth of new information about the moon.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The team then analyzed how some of the most common techniques affect overall song structures.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Five people have died, and dozens of others were injured after a massive pileup of more than 30 vehicles in Colorado, officials say.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
In Beltrami County, one person died Monday night when a house burned to the ground in rural Port Hope Township, north of Bemidji.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hello from Milan and Cortina, where the USA women’s hockey team will face a familiar foe in the gold-medal game, two Americans were on the podium in women’s monobob and a Norwegian skier melted down after losing out on a medal.—
The Sports Desk,
NBC news,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Inside the Arts District campus workspace, plastic donations are sorted, shredded and melted down using specialized equipment before being molded into new objects or artwork.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jamahl Mosley’s squad knocked down a franchise-record 27 3-pointers, finished with a 29-6 advantage in fastbreak scoring and scored 24 points off 19 takeaways in the 37-point victory to open a four-game road trip on the West Coast.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Just over two minutes in, Dean Wade knocked down another 3-pointer that stretched Cleveland’s lead to 29 and forced Jordi Fernández to burn a timeout.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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British filmmaker Grant Gee took best director honors for Everyone Digs Bill Evans, a fragmented bio-drama on the influential jazz pianist who was shattered by the tragic loss of his bassist in a car accident.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Klaebo’s victory in the 50-kilometer mass start race shattered the nearly 50-year record set by American speed skater Eric Heiden, who won five golds in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Freeman ranked third among first basemen in FanGraphs WAR last year, and was the fourth-best hitter at his position by wRC+ (140).—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Bridgeman is ranked 52nd — the highest the 26-year-old South Carolinian has been since turning pro four years ago — but never has won on the PGA Tour.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20down. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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