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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of broke down 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 With that, Shaboozey broke down, squeezing the bridge of his nose to suppress tears. —

Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke down

Verb

No arrest has been made, but police classified the offense as first or second-degree murder in the police report.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
Kaprizov classified the play as lucky.

— Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2026