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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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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There were also stories about Reinsdorf not being amused by the wise-cracking or esoteric commentary by Benetti during play-by-play, as if baseball were a deadly serious sport that should be treated with more dignity.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
This is a grand adventure and cracking good mystery awash with gaslighting, brawls, murders, red herrings and a secret society.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Calicut was accused of choking Perkins and cutting her neck while stealing money and a phone from her home in 1999.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Recalled because a mixing error resulted in small cornstarch clumps in the product, resulting in a choking hazard.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Old Man Ross over here is literally breaking down on the job.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
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Its acidity helps cut through grime, dissolving dirt and breaking down grease and mineral deposits.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The room begins to feel fragmented, with too many edges breaking up the sightline.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
3 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, in the early 1900s, people feared broadcast radio would wrinkle their skin, dry up the sky, and even cause flooding by breaking up clouds.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melting%20down. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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