melt down 1 of 2

verb

Definition of melt downnext
as in to crack
to yield to mental or emotional stress rather than melt down, the team strengthened their resolve and ended up winning the game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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meltdown

2 of 2

noun

1
as in tailspin

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in collapse

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Dissimilar Words

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 melt down
Verb
It’s paired with a blend of lightweight sunflower, olive, and jojoba oils that melt down makeup, sunscreen, and excess sebum without leaving skin feeling slick or weighed down. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026 This one appears quick opaque and viscous, but actually does a nice job at melting down onto the skin and absorbing quickly. — Lucy Partington, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
As the tongue-in-cheek meltdown of MoMAlogue #1 had made clear, the hardest part had simply been getting this far. — Nolan Kelly, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026 The idea is to provide nimble and reliable baseload power that’s clean, meltdown-proof, and relatively agile for limited power uses. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for melt down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melt down
  1. crack
  2. tailspin
  3. collapse
  4. choke
  5. freak-out
  6. disaster
  7. break down
  8. nervous breakdown
Verb
  • Over time such strain can crack foundations, break sewer lines, damage subway systems and worsen flooding.
    — Sanidhya Sharma, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The untraditional layout stuck first gear off to the side, making the 2-3 shift most likely to be often reached for under hard use easier to crack off.
    — Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of crack
Noun
  • The 2018 tailspin had followed a massive momentum crescendo and reversal several months earlier, which gave way to an erratic tape that couldn't absorb what seemed at the time relatively unthreatening Federal Reserve tightening actions.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
  • And Criss was concerned that unchecked growth of the program, coupled with a spree of tax cuts, could put the state budget into a tailspin.
    — Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of tailspin
Noun
  • Mohamud also warned of a possible secondary collapse, as the collapsed building was leaning on its neighbor.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Spirit Airlines' ghost planes The problems with young retirements predate Spirit's collapse.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • The woman denied the allegations, and Ross hit her in the chest several times and choked her, the report says, restricting her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Berry was successful in getting the court to dissolve the domestic violence restraining order issued against her after she was accused of choking her son.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of choke
Noun
  • The Derby’s question is quite often decided by whichever colt or filly has the racing focus and the strength not to succumb to his or her ambient freak-out.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Even so, the nation’s collective freak-out should serve as a wake-up call to both the food industry and regulators.
    — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of freak-out
Noun
  • Spain’s second high-speed rail disaster this year, in which one train struck another from behind, killing 69 people, has raised fresh concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network ahead of a national election.
    — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The new rail disaster can't help the prospects of his Socialist party.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • Those compounds break down over time, so the aroma becomes much gentler.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Palacios, breaking down in tears, admitted Capador was the one who did the hiring.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of break down
Noun
  • From the very start, the students assigned as guards went on cruel power trips and repeatedly humiliated — if not psychologically tortured — the inmates, to the point that some of the prisoners suffered nervous breakdowns.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026
  • As rumors grew about why Talarico was not seen in public during one of the tightest campaigns in the country, Paxton suggested that the Democratic hopeful had suffered a nervous breakdown of some kind.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown

Browse Nearby Words

melt (away)
melt down
meltdown
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Cite this Entry

“Melt down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melt%20down. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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