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
Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Apr. 2026
Asphalt is broken down on both sides of the road.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Estimates broken down by city are expected to be released in May.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Comedian Charlie Berens also popularized the ritual, joking that it can be broken down into recognizable steps.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Even squares or irregular blobs can be broken down into a series of progressively smaller circles and calculated using pi, Davoyan said.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Negotiations have been ongoing for years, but trust on both sides has broken down.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
The schedule is broken down by position group and players will be interviewed by teams and media; undergo different physical and mental exams; have their official draft day measurements taken and, maybe most importantly workout for scouts, fans and general mangers.
—Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
The Herald report found that most of the Proterra buses had broken down within a year of deployment and were pulled from routes as maintenance requests piled up.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Captain Ron Galaviz, the agency's chief public information officer, reported that there were 632 stuck or broken-down cars, 327 slide-offs and 423 car crashes.
—Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Other screens show muscle and fat broken down by body part in both a chart and a full-body diagram.
—Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 5 Apr. 2026
Asphalt is broken down on both sides of the road.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
Estimates broken down by city are expected to be released in May.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Comedian Charlie Berens also popularized the ritual, joking that it can be broken down into recognizable steps.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Even squares or irregular blobs can be broken down into a series of progressively smaller circles and calculated using pi, Davoyan said.
—ABC News, 14 Mar. 2026
Negotiations have been ongoing for years, but trust on both sides has broken down.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
The schedule is broken down by position group and players will be interviewed by teams and media; undergo different physical and mental exams; have their official draft day measurements taken and, maybe most importantly workout for scouts, fans and general mangers.
—Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026
The Herald report found that most of the Proterra buses had broken down within a year of deployment and were pulled from routes as maintenance requests piled up.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken-down
Adjective
-
The state Department of Corrections is in strikingly similar dire straits with dilapidated prisons and a decreasing number of COs.—
Steve Zeidman,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Ross saved the Miami Open, moving it from a dilapidated Key Biscayne venue, and retrofitting Hard Rock Stadium’s grounds for it.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
From that point in the novel to its wrenching end, June searches for her baby with the passionate abandon of a first-time mother and the aching hunger of every mother separated from her child.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The cluster of teams that could finish in that range includes the Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, who are separated by just 1 1/2 games in the East standings.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The detail was that Rivas’ body was not only badly decomposed when it was found – it had been dismembered and separated into two bags before being placed in the trunk of the Tesla.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In both cases, the remains were decomposed, and appeared that they may have been moved around multiple locations before being discovered, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Minnesota led by 10 with about four minutes left before Houston used an 8-2 run, with four points from Alperen Sengun, to cut the lead to 132-128 with about a minute to go.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
It is equipped with fold-out platforms, a large glass-bottom pool, and a lounge with a DJ booth, meaning seafarers can play with water toys by day and cut shapes by night.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The suspect, later identified as Dylan Charles-Edward Wallace, 28, of Superior, reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle and crashed into the doors of Superior Middle School.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The chase ended when Dennis crashed into a barrier wall near Northwest 31st Avenue and Northwest Second Street in Lauderhill, the police department said.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The insurance companies cracked it first.—
Stuart N. Brotman,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
On a late afternoon e-bike ride with friends in his Miramar neighborhood, 11-year-old Varren Lacoste hit a signpost straight-on and cracked open his forehead.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Students and staff protested last week and more than 2,000 people signed a petition after LGBTQ+ rainbow flags were repeatedly taken down from office windows that face the street.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
South Carolina had taken down then-undefeated UConn in the semifinal on Friday.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But the events of late 1957 shattered that perception and focused the attention of American politicians and military officials more sharply on the final frontier.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
And not just broken, but shattered.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken-down. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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