melts down

present tense third-person singular of melt down
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

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 melts down Parents won't spend the day pushing strollers across sprawling pathways trying to cover ground before someone melts down. Jacqueline Dole, Southern Living, 30 June 2026 The wedding — and especially Cassie and Nate’s dance, as Cassie melts down on the day she’s spent her life dreaming of, having learned about the deep financial hole Nate is in — must have felt especially layered. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melts down
Verb
  • When that belief cracks, the line stops being a signal and starts being a complaint.
    Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026
  • Nobody cracks 60 points, even though this was early in the cap era when scoring was up.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Wheeler breaks down her actionable, high-yield steps for parents with kids of all ages who want to lower their bills right now.
    Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 31 July 2026
  • Commentary and opinions In his latest column, Gustavo Arellano breaks down the banality of evil in the Border Patrol’s secret anti-immigrant slur.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • One boy loops his arm around the student’s neck and chokes him.
    Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 24 July 2026
  • Remove chokes from artichokes and steam in small amount of water for 15 minutes, adding water to pan as needed.
    Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Charles breaks up a fight between Russell Kind and Eli James and for the first time in history, Russell has a right to be angry.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • When the ice breaks up in spring, the water in a lake begins what is commonly called a turnover.
    Jack G. Mell, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Melts down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melts%20down. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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