melting down

Definition of melting downnext
present participle of melt down
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 melting down What beef tallow is and how it’s made Beef tallow is a white, shelf-stable cooking fat made by rendering — or melting down — the fatty tissue that surrounds a cow’s organs, according to Michelle Crouch at AARP. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 19 May 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melting down
Verb
  • The one-liners, which Foxworthy began cracking in the late 1980s, helped propel the comedian to mainstream stardom in the 90s.
    Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 6 June 2026
  • Further, when algorithms are periodically strengthened to account for advances in cracking abilities, the process occurs automatically, with no interaction required.
    Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • Now she is stuck with three long term leases choking her cash flow like a noose around her neck.
    George Deeb, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
  • Keaton’s friend, director Dennis Dugan, was at risk of choking to death when a bit of food got lodged in his throat.
    Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • The wasps build their nests by breaking down plant and wood fibers to form a papery substance.
    Patricia S York, Southern Living, 3 June 2026
  • Given that the more direct iteration of the game is leading to teams prioritising different profiles of players to be used in different roles, the task of breaking down blocks has changed somewhat.
    Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Police arrested 25 people and recovered 52 chickens while breaking up an active cockfight in Delaware County over the weekend.
    Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 1 June 2026
  • On a balcony, this looks like breaking up the lineup by alternating hanging planters with those on the ground.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Melting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melting%20down. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

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