melting down

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 Gossip blogger Perez Hilton was reportedly treated for a drug overdose after melting down during a livestream that caused concerns of self-harm. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 If energy stocks are one way to profit from powering the boom, another lies in the hardware that keeps those AI factories from melting down. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026 This is Gordo and Tracy sacrificing themselves by running onto the moon’s surface with only duct-tape suits to stop a nuclear reactor from melting down. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melting down
Verb
  • Gabe goes the extra mile and makes a mirror with a replica of his drag persona, Blu Romantic, hiding behind it, and cracking the mirror open gives Nigella an existential crisis.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 25 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
Verb
  • Car seats, walkers and other baby gear sold at Target have been recalled due to choking hazards and the risk of serious injury from falls.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Loud persistent snoring, sudden gasping or choking for air, waking with a dry mouth and breathing pauses a partner usually notices first.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Keep the package sealed after each use to prevent sheets from clumping or breaking down early.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026
  • There were patches of pink, and some of his skin was visibly breaking down.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • School staff found the backpack lying unattended after breaking up a fight inside a hallway at Cambria Heights Academy on 91st Ave.
    — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Several of my favorite poetry collections capture the nuanced process of breaking up, with its extreme states of longing, anger, and sorrow—while also expanding the capacity for joy, pleasure, and compassion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 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 30 Sep. 2026.

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