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
Taking a kid on a flight this summer and already dreading the meltdown somewhere over the Atlantic? — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026 Cameras later caught Cunningham laughing as Bonner's meltdown escalated, and both players were hit with technical fouls. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 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
  • Flanking him in two blowout victories were Will Richard, LJ Cryer and Malevy Leons, all of whom cracked the Warriors’ rotation last season.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • My hands had cracked and scabbed from being on the water nearly two weeks.
    — John Todd, Outdoor Life, 9 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
  • Vibrations from earth-moving equipment could have triggered further collapses, possibly dooming Gil — and his would-be rescuers.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Historians have devoted enormous attention to the collapse of the royal courts, the creation of state judiciaries, the drafting of new constitutions, and the construction of the legal institutions of the new republic.
    — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 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
  • Modern networks are more resilient in disasters, an AT&T spokesman said, because they can be restored faster and are less vulnerable to damage and copper theft.
    — Jenny Jarvie Follow, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Burnham launched a government inquiry that found police failures, not the victims themselves, were responsible for the disaster.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • Sportico’s Michael McCann, who is an attorney and a law professor, breaks down the potential legal fallout of a lockout in two parts.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
  • Larry Walshe, celebrity event designer and founder of Larry Walshe Studios, breaks down the potential significance behind Swift’s flower choices exclusively to PEOPLE.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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