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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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
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Recent Examples of melt down
Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Practice non-reaction This can feel counterintuitive, but sometimes the best strategy is to take a pause and not immediately react or intervene when your child is melting down.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 3 Apr. 2026
Law Murray, New York Times, 1 May 2026
That single move can be the difference between a memorable meal and a meltdown.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for melt down
Verb
Except, in this case, cyber defenses have already melted down.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Practice non-reaction This can feel counterintuitive, but sometimes the best strategy is to take a pause and not immediately react or intervene when your child is melting down.
—wendy Wisner, Parents, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
Houston has already had every single storyline thrown its way, from Kevin Durant’s injury to a Game 3 meltdown and head coach Ime Udoka identifying how soft and scared his players were.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 1 May 2026
That single move can be the difference between a memorable meal and a meltdown.
—Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for melt down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melt down
Verb
-
The world cracked open, and now everyone’s striving to fit the jagged pieces back into a box called civilized society.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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And given that cement is one of the tougher nuts to crack in the struggle to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, concrete solutions are welcome.—
Scott K. Johnson,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Monday’s announcement sent logistics stocks in a tailspin, with GXO shares plummeting more than 17 percent during the day.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
-
The demoralizing loss sent the Lakers into a three-game tailspin just a couple weeks before the playoffs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The collapse of the government is unlikely to significantly affect Latvia’s foreign policy, as all mainstream parties are some variant of pro-Ukraine and anti-Russia.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
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This explains why companies did not experience a commercial-traffic collapse.—
Ming Zhu,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The episode was almost entirely about Margo and her continued freak-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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For now, though, Chang is in her bubble up north and witnessing most of the freak-outs remotely and not in person.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Boeing has reached confidential pre-trial settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the Ethiopian Airlines disaster and a similar 737 Max crash five months earlier off the coast of Indonesia that together killed 346 people.—
Rio Yamat,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
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But the 48-year-old former San Francisco County supervisor’s solution — a single-payer-style public disaster insurance program — is poorly defined and presents an enormous risk for a state struggling with chronic deficits.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Noun
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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
-
When their news anchor (Peter Finch) has a nervous breakdown on the air, suddenly their ratings turn around, bringing on a moral morass only some of them are prepared to face.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The intensifying conflict in the Middle East has choked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – a vital route for roughly 20% of the world’s oil, natural gas and critical raw materials.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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The lawsuit also claims officers choked Day and slammed him against a wall, eventually coercing him into confessing to killing Irving and Garcia.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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According to spending breakdowns from the California Department of Education, administrative salaries account for a single‑digit share of K–12 education spending statewide.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
And that breakdown can affect facial structure.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melt down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melt%20down. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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