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

Related Words

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
The program later showed Sullivan calling her boyfriend to tell him the news in one of the show's most shocking moments, which saw her partner melt down on the other end of the phone. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026 The industry was already struggling with cost overruns when, in 1979, a reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania partially melted down and slammed the brakes on further expansion. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026
Noun
The right venue, the right seats and the right preparation can make the difference between a magical night and a meltdown an hour in. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026 Before his meltdown on Monday night in Colorado, Chapman had been effectively untouchable all season long. — Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 28 June 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
  • Sort through the berries and get rid of any that look unripe, soft, cracked, red, or leaky.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 July 2026
  • Scientists are cracking the code for extracting useful molecules from substances designed to harm.
    — Steve Midway, STAT, 16 July 2026
Definition of crack
Noun
  • This sense of optimism fluctuated significantly until June 2023, when the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Biden’s first attempt at relieving student loan debt sent public opinion into a tailspin.
    — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of tailspin
Noun
  • But authorities said the crews needed to carefully map out a rescue plan since a reckless excavation could risk triggering a secondary collapse, especially with the boulders at the scene.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • That reflects a long-running slowdown in home construction driven by rising expenses from materials and labor as well as changes in local zoning and permitting rules and lingering scars from the 2008 subprime mortgage collapse.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • This practice carries risks, such as choking and aspiration, or food entering the airway.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Historically, modest fires every seven to 20 years kept forests from being overgrown and choked with highly flammable dead wood and brush, Williams said.
    — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
Definition of choke
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
Definition of freak-out
Noun
  • Daniel had arrived back in Venezuela the day of the disaster, after being deported from the United States.
    — Susana Erazo, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • The discrepancy is even more apparent when analyzing major disaster declarations based on presidential elections.
    — David A. Lieb, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • The incentive would be broken down into four installments of $2,500 to be paid quarterly in 2027.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026
  • Things are tense and more than once Irène will break down and cry.
    — André Aciman, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of break down
Noun
  • After suffering a nervous breakdown and being taken care of by Marlon Brando’s daughter Cheyenne in Tahiti, Jones eventually returned to his life as a mogul of music, television and magazines.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
  • Some people in Caracas and surrounding areas suffered nervous breakdowns following the events of Wednesday afternoon, compounded by warnings that their homes might collapse.
    — Gustavo Ocando Alex, Miami Herald, 25 June 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 19 Jul. 2026.

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