as in losing it
to yield to mental or emotional stress
rather than melt down, the team strengthened their resolve and ended up winning the game
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of melting down
Sidestep a financial wrangle if someone is melting down.
—
Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Explosions near the site had already damaged a high-voltage power line; Ukraine feared the failure of cooling systems that prevent nuclear fuel from melting down.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
If those systems fail—or simply run out of diesel—the plant would have no way to stop the nuclear fuel inside those reactors from overheating and potentially melting down.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Grok itself debunks the statement regarding Kirk; Musk’s AI tool cannot find evidence of Steele melting down over people mourning the assassination.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
The secret is melting down pink Himalayan salt to combine it with maple syrup.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Some teams look fantastic before melting down within a few weeks (2024 New Orleans Saints) and others can get off to a rough start before blossoming within the first two months (2024 Washington Commanders).
—Mike Kaye
september 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Naturally, Swiftopia is melting down over the possibility over what this could mean.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
Explosions near the site had already damaged a high-voltage power line; Ukraine feared the failure of cooling systems that prevent nuclear fuel from melting down.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
The first of the films is Blue Moon, a sweet-and-sour portrait of the lyricist Lorenz Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) melting down at a bar near the tail end of his Broadway career.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
If those systems fail—or simply run out of diesel—the plant would have no way to stop the nuclear fuel inside those reactors from overheating and potentially melting down.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Grok itself debunks the statement regarding Kirk; Musk’s AI tool cannot find evidence of Steele melting down over people mourning the assassination.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
The secret is melting down pink Himalayan salt to combine it with maple syrup.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Some teams look fantastic before melting down within a few weeks (2024 New Orleans Saints) and others can get off to a rough start before blossoming within the first two months (2024 Washington Commanders).
—Mike Kaye
september 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Naturally, Swiftopia is melting down over the possibility over what this could mean.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melting down
Verb
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McNee said any tree that has sap could have frost cracking in the right conditions.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
23 Jan. 2026
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These alliances focus on cracking the codes of protein mutations prevalent in pancreatic, lung, and colorectal cancers—targets that have historically resisted treatment.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sure, some out there were robbing old people, choking people, robbing them, beating them up, taking their money, but Troy just wasn’t like that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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His criminal history included convictions for robbery, kidnapping and attempting to kill a corrections officer by choking him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Oil shortages and obsolete power stations constantly breaking down have made daily hours-long blackouts the new normal.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
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Others are also said to be on the verge of breaking down.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cook, stirring often and breaking up meat, until beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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If that's correct, then not enough time has passed for solar radiation to have cleared out all the dust sprayed into space by the asteroid breaking up.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melting%20down. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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