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
The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder scrambled on many occasions as protection broke down.
—
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
Saturday after ongoing contract negotiations between workers and the MTA broke down and 3,500 railroad employees walked off the job.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
Some relatives broke down upon seeing the coffins, as a Muslim cleric led funeral prayers under tight security.
—Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
In 2006, their horse Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby but broke down two weeks later at the Preakness.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
The team used two bacterial strains that worked together and completely broke down the material within just six days, without making microplastics.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026
Three others broke down after rendering the guilty verdict.
—Amy Driscoll, Miami Herald, 3 May 2026
With no usable video from the night of the robbery, prosecutors released footage from the night before that showed a museum employee entering the building after his car broke down.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
One commenter broke down the dog’s couch strategy in football terms.
—Sara Vallone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2026
Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
Saturday after ongoing contract negotiations between workers and the MTA broke down and 3,500 railroad employees walked off the job.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 16 May 2026
Some relatives broke down upon seeing the coffins, as a Muslim cleric led funeral prayers under tight security.
—Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
In 2006, their horse Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby but broke down two weeks later at the Preakness.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
The team used two bacterial strains that worked together and completely broke down the material within just six days, without making microplastics.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 May 2026
Three others broke down after rendering the guilty verdict.
—Amy Driscoll, Miami Herald, 3 May 2026
With no usable video from the night of the robbery, prosecutors released footage from the night before that showed a museum employee entering the building after his car broke down.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
One commenter broke down the dog’s couch strategy in football terms.
—Sara Vallone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke down
Verb
-
Previously, weed was classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act by the National Conference of State Legislatures.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
-
Another pretty village is Les Riceys, with three churches, all of which are classified as historical monuments.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Biodegradable waste consists of organic materials, such as food scraps, vegetable peels, paper, leaves, and agricultural residues, that can be decomposed naturally through microbial processes.—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 May 2026
-
Halleck adds coffee grounds need to be decomposed by microbes first to release nitrogen and other nutrients.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To better understand the hybrid pigs and their genetic traits, scientists analyzed mitochondrial DNA passed down through maternal lineages, along with nuclear genetic markers, from 191 wild boars and 10 domestic pigs collected between 2015 and 2018.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
-
The University of Massachusetts economist Arindrajit Dube and colleagues analyzed 138 state-level minimum-wage changes from 1979 to 2016 and found no evidence of job loss.—
Nick Hanauer,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The family had told her that everyone in the apartment had died—Samih, too, had succumbed to his wounds—but not that Zahra’s body was still missing.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
Two and a half years after Perry died, a June 5 auction will be offering 130 lots of his personal effects, with the proceeds going to his addiction and substance abuse foundation.—
Andy Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
This is a rematch of the Patriots’ wild-card round win over the Chargers, when Justin Herbert melted down against New England’s defense.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
-
The internet melted down this week because Rodrigo chose to have a sense of fashion.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
In the third quarter, Clark knocked down another 3-pointer from well beyond the arc.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
-
For the second time in five days, the team deemed the worst in Division 2 of the CIF Southern Section baseball playoffs knocked down a giant.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The driver’s side window was shattered, but there was no broken glass on the ground.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
-
Ears are routinely cauliflowered, noses fractured, limbs shattered.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Multiple studies in 2024–26 have ranked San Jose as the least affordable housing market in the United States, based on comparisons of home prices to local incomes.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Seahawks, Week 7 Based on the all-encompassing DVOA metrics, Seattle finished last season ranked first in overall, pass and run defense.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20down. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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