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 Continue reading … -- IN OTHER NEWS COURT PRESS — A'ja Wilson's mom melts down when pressed over her 'Love Beats Hate' sign in Vegas. — FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 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
  • But the real reason this outing cracks the list isn’t simply the six touchdowns.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • When that foundation cracks, every other part of life begins to shift with it.
    — Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Continue reading … ‘STANDING FIRM’— Gal Gadot nearly breaks down praising executive's fight against rising antisemitism.
    — , FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2026
  • Birnbaum breaks down the economics of the league, its owners, recent transactions and its relationship with the women’s IPL.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As a result, Ukraine’s government faces a deepening cash crunch as the air war chokes its revenue from steel, agriculture and other key sources.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • One boy loops his arm around the student’s neck and chokes him.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 24 July 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 15 Nov. 2026.

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