melt·down
ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n 
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)
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
Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 7 May 2025
Newark has been in various stages of meltdown since April 28, when a temporary radio and radar outage briefly caused controllers to lose track of and communication with incoming flights.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 7 May 2025
The Hill, 5 May 2025
The precious metal isn’t just a superfluous adornment; it’s seen as a liquid asset: something that can be traded, act as collateral or melted down and sold.
—Sadiya Ansari Spandita Malik, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meltdown
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Noun
Related article Inside the multi-day meltdown at Newark airport
The outage impacted information from radars located at an FAA facility in Westbury, New York, where the air traffic controllers formerly managed flights heading to Newark.
—Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 7 May 2025
Newark has been in various stages of meltdown since April 28, when a temporary radio and radar outage briefly caused controllers to lose track of and communication with incoming flights.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 7 May 2025
Verb
Luigi Mangione musical already sold out, opening in San Francisco
Liberals melt down over Donald Trump as Pope, star wars Jedi; MAGA as fandom?
—The Hill, 5 May 2025
The precious metal isn’t just a superfluous adornment; it’s seen as a liquid asset: something that can be traded, act as collateral or melted down and sold.
—Sadiya Ansari Spandita Malik, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meltdown
Cite this Entry
“Meltdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meltdown. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
meltdown
noun
melt·down
ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n
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)
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