as in dilapidated
in a bad or weak condition because of being old, not well cared for, etc.
A broken-down car was blocking one of the lanes of the road. His body was now broken-down after many years of hard living.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in separated
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
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 cut
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 crashed
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in cracked
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 taken 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 broken-down
Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
When the results were broken down by partisan affiliation, some noticeable differences emerged.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
When our bodies digest protein in food, it gets broken down into amino acids, which have a hand in many bodily processes, such as building and preserving muscle, making hormones, boosting the immune system and even maintaining healthy hair, skin and nails.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The lamb is delivered whole, broken down by Jackman, then salted, smoked, and braised.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
The instructions reminded me of my son’s Lego sets in how they were broken down with one simple step on each page, explained using diagrams with few words.
—Clint Davis, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Potential for High Blood Sugar When lactose is broken down by lactase in milk, it is turned into glucose and galactose, which are considered simple sugars.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2025
This framework has several actionable steps that are broken down in greater detail below.
—Bihag Karnani, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Welcome to your Queer Weekly Horoscope, a bite-sized look at the coming days broken down by your zodiac sign.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Here are the top ten states with an overall stress rank in parenthesis, each broken-down by rank order for each of the five dimensions: work stress, financial stress, family stress, health & safety stress and work-life balance rankings.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Canva Financial issues, family policies and cultural shifts are generally cited as the main reasons for the decline in births, which Newsweek has broken down in detail here.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
When the results were broken down by partisan affiliation, some noticeable differences emerged.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
When our bodies digest protein in food, it gets broken down into amino acids, which have a hand in many bodily processes, such as building and preserving muscle, making hormones, boosting the immune system and even maintaining healthy hair, skin and nails.
—Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
The lamb is delivered whole, broken down by Jackman, then salted, smoked, and braised.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
The instructions reminded me of my son’s Lego sets in how they were broken down with one simple step on each page, explained using diagrams with few words.
—Clint Davis, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Potential for High Blood Sugar When lactose is broken down by lactase in milk, it is turned into glucose and galactose, which are considered simple sugars.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2025
This framework has several actionable steps that are broken down in greater detail below.
—Bihag Karnani, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Welcome to your Queer Weekly Horoscope, a bite-sized look at the coming days broken down by your zodiac sign.
—Colin Bedell, Them., 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken-down
Adjective
-
Skyscrapers could have made a historic but dilapidated neighborhood more varied and richly layered.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Additionally, several existing dilapidated buildings on the site will be demolished and their concrete recycled and partly reused to realize the new structures.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The ice machine’s front cover was damaged and separated from the machine.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
-
That was the longest I've ever been separated from him.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 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
-
The 2-point conversion attempt failed, but the Packers cut the gap to 21-6.—
Frank Rajkowski,
Twin Cities,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Stocks got some help from a report on inflation that suggested the Federal Reserve may be able to continue cutting interest rates.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The waves crashed behind the stage, as fans—including myself—stood barefoot in the sand.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Residents calling 911 in Forrest County had to wait on the line until being transferred to the National 911 Call Center, which then had to transfer the call to a non-emergency line in the county — some of which had crashed, Gerry Burns, the Deputy 911 Coordinator of the county, told CNN.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So, in an instant, Zeek twisted and pushed the barrel aside, but the robber grabbed his shoulder, firing a shot that cracked through the quiet.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The moment that cracked the tension came on the 18th hole.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Asked whether Robinson had literally copied and pasted Harrington’s idea, his website was taken down.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The Green Bay Packers were shockingly taken down by the Cleveland Browns in Week 3, and it is believed that the team will be looking for some revenge in Week 4.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For DeCesare’s family, that minute — when a man walked into a restaurant with a handgun and decided to open fire — shattered them.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Next door, at Raxakoul Coffee & Cheese, a single jar of sundried tomatoes fell from a shelf and shattered.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broken-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken-down. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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