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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1
as in tailspin
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in collapse
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of melt down
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
The internet melted down this week because Rodrigo chose to have a sense of fashion.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 June 2026
And in the background, the ROG Strix G18 uses ASUS' Intelligent Cooling system to keep your setup quiet and safe from meltdown.
—Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for melt down
Verb
This is a rematch of the Patriots’ wild-card round win over the Chargers, when Justin Herbert melted down against New England’s defense.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026
The internet melted down this week because Rodrigo chose to have a sense of fashion.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 12 May 2026
Noun
Sieger’s here, and there’s no discussion of his meltdown at Judges’ Table!
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 June 2026
And in the background, the ROG Strix G18 uses ASUS' Intelligent Cooling system to keep your setup quiet and safe from meltdown.
—Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for melt down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melt down
Verb
-
The former cracked the top 10 on Spain's radio airplay chart.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
And not one property owner has participated in a pilot program requiring landlords to give current tenants first crack at purchasing multifamily buildings.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Heck, even chores like grocery shopping and filling up on gas are enough to send me into a tailspin after looking at the bill.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
-
That is, until a conversation about having children throws their relationship into a tailspin.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Such lifting of sanctions all but guarantees that the Iranian regime will be bolstered mere months after protests brought it to the brink of collapse.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
-
Firefighters confirmed that the building sustained severe structural damage but ruled out the possibility of a complete collapse.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Police say after entering the store, Tabor allegedly randomly picked out a woman and started choking her.—
Joy Benedict,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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Connecticut’s largest cities also struggle with the state’s highest property tax rates, which chokes business growth and, in turn, shifts more burden onto residential owners.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Much of the freak-out was fed by polls supposedly showing Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco atop the field.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Here are some common culprits of both types of skin freak-outs.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Aemond is a murderer, Aegon is a rapist; if either of them ends up on the Iron Throne for good, that would be a disaster.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
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On the dusty backroads of Radiator Springs, where Lightning McQueen and his pals live, a shower of meteors threatened to bring destruction upon the quarter-size cars in a scene that disaster movie king Roland Emmerich would endorse.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Beating top teams is one (important) thing, breaking down more defensive sides is another.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Many of the players broke down in tears after the final whistle in front of a dozen cheering fans.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Decades later, some of the biggest criticisms of Communion are arguably among its most charming virtues, from Walken's idiosyncratic performance as a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown to the cheesy special effects.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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This happened years before, in such a serious way that my friend had to take a three-month medical leave of absence due to what was likely a nervous breakdown.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melt down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melt%20down. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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