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
Tin cans are also melted down and turned into aluminium for jewelry. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 At one point, his statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, was melted down into two tons of bronze ingots. — Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026
Noun
Signs a Tantrum Is Building A full meltdown rarely comes out of nowhere. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Why the after-school meltdown is normal Plenty of parents are blind sided when a child who seemed fine at pickup falls apart at home. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 10 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
  • Over the last four years, the Clark County Coroner’s Office, with the assistance of police and the FBI, has leveraged several types of technology trying to crack the cold case.
    — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But perhaps just as rewarding, and maybe even inspiring, is cracking open a book in a reader-friendly public space.
    — Adele Chapin, Washington Post, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of crack
Noun
  • His distance from Henry was painfully emphasized when his son got in trouble for bullying another classmate, and the idea of Michelle (Andrea Anders) getting engaged to someone else sent him into a tailspin.
    — Rachel LaBonte, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
  • But a trip to New York City sent Riley back into a tailspin, an alarming and frustrating three games at the plate for the 31-year-old.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of tailspin
Noun
  • In August 1998, a financial crisis hit Russia, causing a default on domestic debt and a collapse of the ruble.
    — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The gold mine collapse was the latest mining disaster in the mineral-rich Central African nation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • There were flakes of gray ash on the rocks, and the choking stink of wet soot.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Keeping your registers from getting choked with dust also allows air to flow freely into your home.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 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
  • The baby’s father, Andres Garcia, survived the boat disaster, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told CNN.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Rescuers continued recovering bodies from the artisanal mining site in Zamboye, near the border with Cameroon, but local workers said the response lacked the equipment and expertise needed for a disaster of such scale.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • Smith often tries to attack with his skill and can break down players one-on-one easily.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • But the rock is under constant monitoring, evacuation plans are prepared and experts say the rock is more likely to break down gradually than in one huge chunk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of break down
Noun
  • Embodied by Maradona, successive Argentinean national teams played with flair and toughness and an element of chaos, often on the edge of nervous breakdown.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • 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
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 23 Aug. 2026.

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