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
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
After a hot tag to Adam Copeland, the match broke down into chaos.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 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
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
After a hot tag to Adam Copeland, the match broke down into chaos.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 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
-
And while Handmaiden wouldn’t necessarily be classified as a horror film, this pairing would make a great double feature.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Air traffic controllers are classified as essential workers, so they are expected to continue working without pay during shutdowns.—
Annabella Rosciglione,
The Washington Examiner,
7 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
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The study analyzed blood samples from 47 patients with severe ME/CFS and 61 healthy controls, revealing a unique pattern consistently present in patients with the condition.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The report analyzed data from all 50 states and Washington, DC.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The comments come more than nine months after her husband, Jeff Baena, died at 47.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
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Fellow comedy legend Carl Reiner, who played the wily Saul Bloom in all three Ocean's movies, died in June 2020 at age 98 from natural causes, leaving behind a career that netted him 11 Emmy Awards, a Grammy, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The artifact was taken by a museum employee and melted down.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 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
-
But regulators knocked down the total penalty to $242,800.—
Anjeanette Damon,
ProPublica,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The Nittany Lions, who entered Saturday's match at the iconic Rose Bowl as over three touchdown favorites, were knocked down by the then 0-4 Bruins on the road.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Each episode explores how Taylor shattered Hollywood’s glass ceiling, built a billion-dollar business empire, and transformed celebrity activism through her pioneering work in the fight against HIV/AIDS.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Jeff sustained a gunshot wound that shattered his ankle, receiving two surgeries to remove the bullet and leather from his foot.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His work in the run game was particularly notable, taking a run game that ranked 31st in explosive run rate in 2023 to third best in 2024.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
This one had a slightly more subtle flavor, so many of our editors ranked this one around the middle of the pack.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broke down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20down. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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