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
Relevance
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
Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Many original prints were later lost, particularly during World War I, when film materials were melted down for their silver and celluloid content.
—Ryan Brennan
april 20, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 2 June 2026
But Judy has a meltdown during a press briefing, when PTSD resurfaces from her time in the Rail Force, a Reagan-era military initiative to defend America by train.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for melt down
Verb
Few expected this outcome, since the ornate helmet in particular would have been virtually unsellable without being melted down.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Many original prints were later lost, particularly during World War I, when film materials were melted down for their silver and celluloid content.
—Ryan Brennan
april 20, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
This time around, despite comparable conditions to last year, there was absolutely no repeat of the meltdown against Boisson.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 2 June 2026
But Judy has a meltdown during a press briefing, when PTSD resurfaces from her time in the Rail Force, a Reagan-era military initiative to defend America by train.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for melt down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melt down
Verb
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One by one, Pryor named 42 defendants who had been caught up in sting operations by zealous investigators who manufactured crack cocaine and sold it, arresting the buyers at the end of the process.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
-
The monochrome sneaker is made from an alligator print and cracked leather on the upper.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
12 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
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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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Golden State scored just eight points in the final period and made just one field goal, but survived because their 15-point second half lead was enough to absorb the collapse in a 76-72 win over the Storm.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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The Zephyr’s collapse also affects Rocky Mountain High grad Kelsey Oyler (2021), who played in 27 of 28 games as a rookie this past season, including 22 starts.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2026
Verb
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Green Bay then choked away a 21-3 halftime lead and a 21-6 advantage after three quarters in an eventual 31-27 loss to Chicago in the Wild Card round.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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Police in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights have released a sketch of a man accused of attacking and choking a woman this past weekend.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Noun
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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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When a catastrophic breach at Piney Point threatened Manatee County homes with a toxic flood and fueled an environmental disaster five years ago, state leaders promised to clean up the mess with up to $200 million.—
Ryan Ballogg,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
-
Not allowing insurance companies to shift profits to out-of-state subsidiaries would save me more money than this disaster.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
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And although Democrats went back and forth with the White House and congressional Republicans over a possible compromise, the talks eventually broke down, leading the GOP to pursue an alternate path forward.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
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But the company touts itself as a more sophisticated method than merely detecting if a work is present in training data, rather breaking down on a more granular level how the works are being used.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 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 14 Jun. 2026.
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