meltdown

1 of 2

noun

melt·​down ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce meltdown (audio)
1
: the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor
2
: a rapid or disastrous decline or collapse
3
: a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation)

melt down

2 of 2

verb

melted down; melting down; melts down

intransitive verb

: to suffer a meltdown : collapse

Examples of meltdown in a Sentence

Noun fears that an accident could cause meltdown a company experiencing financial meltdown After a long day at the beach, our toddler had a major meltdown in the car on the way home. Verb rather than melt down, the team strengthened their resolve and ended up winning the game
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Season 47 of the long-running reality competition show on CBS has already seen plenty of twists and turns, from emotional meltdowns to thrilling blindsides. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024 Advertisement But the Yankees suffered an epic defensive meltdown in the top of the fifth, committing two physical errors and one mental gaffe that allowed the Dodgers to score five unearned runs and tie the score 5-5. Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
It’s been 45 years since a nuclear reactor Three Mile Island near Middletown, Pennsylvania, melted down in what was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear plant operating history. Amy Feldman, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 On March 28, 1979, the Unit 2 reactor core at the Three Mile Island plant partially melted down when equipment malfunctions, compounded by human operator errors, caused a water pump failure that resulted in a loss of coolant to the reactor, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meltdown 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meltdown was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near meltdown

meltage

meltdown

melt down

Cite this Entry

“Meltdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meltdown. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

meltdown

noun
melt·​down ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce meltdown (audio)
1
: the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor
2
: a rapid or disastrous decline or collapse
a financial meltdown
3
: a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation)

More from Merriam-Webster on meltdown

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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