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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
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a stretch yarn from polyethylene that is able to be melted down and recycled. — Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2026 Tin cans are also melted down and turned into aluminium for jewelry. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Noun
How has the new kid become the most popular guy in school after a dance-floor meltdown witnessed by the senior class? — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 Not long ago, a meltdown by the gifted right-hander in that shaky first inning wouldn’t have been surprising. — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 26 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
  • The poll also showed that crime did not crack the top five most important issues.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The actor Martinez also joins in on the creaturely fun by doubling as Chupacabrón, a wise-cracking cryptid who guides Yamel through the underworld.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of crack
Noun
  • Everything Ignore the recent tailspin to recognize what has been one of the greatest turnarounds this century.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This new encounter sends Jorrison, and his world, into a tailspin as what Miguel wants is closure on what had happened back then.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of tailspin
Noun
  • When Green Bay lost its 12-point lead en route to a blowout Sunday, the collapse revived alarm bells about the team’s ability to close out games.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The department said eight units of an apartment building on Grace Avenue above the collapse were evacuated.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Advocates argue carts are silent, occupy less space than tourist vans and buses, and don’t choke the air with exhaust that also stains historic monuments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Chief among them is the war in Iran, which analysts view as a stalemate that has choked major maritime arteries for oil and gas.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 3 Sep. 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
  • Stagg, however, became convinced the day would be stormy – bringing swell and poor visibility that would spell disaster.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Nepal's disaster management agency said five more bodies were located in a different location and equipment was being sent to recover them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • Sophia Eppley breaks down where the major party candidates for governor stand on tax policy.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Santoku knives are great for a large variety of tasks, and are often prized for their daily use for things like slicing cheese, cutting an apple, breaking down an onion, or chopping herbs.
    — Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of break down
Noun
  • Gloria Steinem attributed her mother's nervous breakdown before she was born, and her treatment in mental institutions and the workforce thereafter, as key to her interest in social injustices.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In 1944 her parents divorced, and 10-year-old Gloria was left to take care of her mother, a once-promising journalist who struggled to combine her work with running a household and who eventually suffered a nervous breakdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown

Browse Nearby Words

melt (away)
melt down
meltdown
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Melt down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melt%20down. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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