BROKE DOWN Synonyms: 226 Similar and Opposite Words

broke down

verb

past tense of break down

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

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Relevance

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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

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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

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as in died

to stop functioning the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced

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started (up)

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

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as in knocked down

to take apart the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived

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as in shattered

to cause to break with violence and much noise firefighters had to break down the wall to rescue the kitten

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of broke down Even more impressively, another compound broke down fully at just 30°C, showing the method can work under milder conditions. —

Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Mar. 2026 When one chopper broke down, another would be dismantled for parts to fix it. —

Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 With all eyes set on March 10, 2026 for Score's new book, Désir's team broke down how much time the manufacturers would need to print each special edition. —

Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026 The singer then broke down in hysterical laughter, falling onto the table in front of her and shoving her microphone away. —

Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026 Steelers coach Mike McCarthy and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson broke down each of those fundamentals, passing concepts, game situations and more during a formal meeting at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. —

Mike Defabo, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026 The biathlete bronze medallist who broke down in tears and admitted to cheating on his (now ex-)girlfriend, in a gonzo bid to get her back? —

Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026 Here’s how the top 10 broke down — and what put each state on the list. —

Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 7 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke down

Verb

Police said Darden is classified as a missing adult and was reported missing to both the Oakland Police Department and the Berkeley Police Department.

— Jose Fabian, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
If classified as homicides, these would be the city’s first of the year.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026