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
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a stretch yarn from polyethylene that is able to be melted down and recycled. — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2026 Tin cans are also melted down and turned into aluminium for jewelry. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Noun
Not long ago, a meltdown by the gifted right-hander in that shaky first inning wouldn’t have been surprising. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Jose Trevino provided the equalizer with a sacrifice fly, then Tyler Stephenson completed the meltdown with an RBI single. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 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
  • Musetti cracked the world’s top five earlier this year, but has been hampered by injuries since.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Eggs are famous for being fragile, cracking open at the slightest nudge against a countertop.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of crack
Noun
  • This new encounter sends Jorrison, and his world, into a tailspin as what Miguel wants is closure on what had happened back then.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The vision of her administering fertility shots in the green room before going on air to discuss her future political career sent the internet in a tailspin.
    — Dr. Jaime Knopman, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tailspin
Noun
  • Collapse adds to debate over Kennedy Center renovations The collapse comes as the Kennedy Center board's plan to temporarily close the facility for a two-year renovation remains tied up in federal court.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In total, more than 5,000 people are missing in Nepal following last week’s catastrophic floods, which were triggered by a glacier collapse.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Advocates argue carts are silent, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and don’t choke the air with exhaust that also stains historic monuments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Chief among them is the war in Iran, which analysts view as a stalemate that has choked major maritime arteries for oil and gas.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 3 Sep. 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
  • In moments, the towers’ dazzling height had transformed from the proud punctuation of this country’s signature skyline into a disaster-movie nightmare.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Bills finished the Toronto series with a 1-5 record, and the experiment was viewed as a disaster.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • In the middle of it, the air conditioner in Petty's bedroom broke down.
    — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
  • By revealing exactly where collective quantum behavior breaks down, the studies offer a clearer picture of what future quantum systems would need to make similar effects possible.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of break down
Noun
  • Gloria Steinem attributed her mother's nervous breakdown before she was born, and her treatment in mental institutions and the workforce thereafter, as key to her interest in social injustices.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In 1944 her parents divorced, and 10-year-old Gloria was left to take care of her mother, a once-promising journalist who struggled to combine her work with running a household and who eventually suffered a nervous breakdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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