as in cracks
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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Recent Examples of melts down
The snowpack acts as a natural water storage system for California, and ideally when the region’s climate shifts from cold to warm and dry, the snow gradually melts down from rivers and creeks to fill reservoirs over a period of months.
—
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melts down
Verb
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Crooks gets to stay in the Big 12 as a senior, and Oklahoma State cracks the top 25.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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That the New York DMA was in the mix is particularly noteworthy, as Gotham rarely cracks even the Super Bowl’s top-20 local markets—a function of its sheer size.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The latest monthly budget update on the national debt and its interest burden, shared on May 8, breaks down the government’s income and outgoings for the fiscal year so far, which began in October.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
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Quince actually breaks down the price for each item on its site, revealing the cost for materials, packaging, freight and handling, duties, taxes and other fees.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Not the one who chokes in the playoffs.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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Democratic lawmakers aren’t particularly sympathetic to the industry, pointing to reports of soaring profits for oil companies as the war chokes consumers around the world.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The new map breaks up the state’s current 9th Congressional District, which is primarily made up of Memphis, and the state’s only majority-Black district.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 May 2026
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Sometimes your boyfriend breaks up with you to be with an older divorced mom and that's a good thing.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Melts down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melts%20down. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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