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
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
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
-
The offense seems to be cracking under the weight of having to carry the team.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Those larger ions won’t necessarily fit into existing battery designs without cracking or breaking the elements, Datta says.—
Andrew Moseman,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Foreign material in food products presents health risks, including choking, damage to teeth and digestive tract injury.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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Baltimore led Buffalo by 15 points with four minutes to go Sunday night before choking away a 41-40 loss in what became an instant classic.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When breaking down what the heck happened over the last four months, the first item on the list is the way New York’s starting rotation disintegrated.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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This is the web version of Fortune Tech, a daily newsletter breaking down the biggest players and stories shaping the future.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chapterhouse formed in 1987 in Reading, England, and released two albums during their original run—including the heralded shoegaze classic Whirlpool—before breaking up in 1994.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 Sep. 2025
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Lopez and Affleck first dated in 2002 and got engaged before breaking up and then reconnecting in 2021, getting married the following year and divorcing last year.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Melting down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melting%20down. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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