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
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
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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Incidentally, one of the reasons why the insurance category as a whole tends to go all-in on cracking wise is that there’s little room for the companies to provide specific guidance about their policies.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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His voice is exuberant, especially when cracking jokes.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a video of the attack, Johnson is seen choking Cundiff for more than a minute and a half, resuming the strangling after Cundiff appeared unconscious, causing injuries to his throat and face.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom have warned consumers that counterfeit Labubu are poorly made and may contain small, detachable parts such as eyes, hands, and feet, which present a serious choking hazard to young children.—
Haicen Yang,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Success also depends on breaking down silos.—
Nitesh Mirchandani,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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About The Daily Money Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Terrion Arnold #0 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after breaking up a 4th down pass in the end zone against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Ford Field on September 30, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
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Chapter One opens with Ocean, a Korean space pilot, breaking up with her boyfriend at a Korean BBQ restaurant.—
Elaine U. Cho
August 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melting%20down. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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