1
as in to classify
to arrange or assign according to type
when presented with the pile of files, the first thing he did was to break them down by month, order within the month, and region
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decompose
to go through decomposition
the enamel of a human tooth will begin to break down when exposed to sugar for too long
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to analyze
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships
if we break the problem down into what appear to be three aspects of it, we'll have a better chance of solving it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to die
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to crack
to yield to mental or emotional stress
began to break down when he realized that he was on the verge of bankruptcy
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to take down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to shatter
to cause to break with violence and much noise
firefighters had to break down the wall to rescue the kitten
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in nervous breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse
if you don't ease your workload, you're going to have a breakdown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
the breakdown of the body was arrested by the embalming process
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in analysis
the separation and identification of the parts of a whole
the boss wanted a detailed breakdown of the sales figures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break down
Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Although teams are trying to play more directly to work the ball through or over man-to-man presses, there is still the possibility of consolidating possession once the initial attack breaks down.
—Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Hillmon acknowledged the defensive breakdowns after the game.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
In large systems, that breaks down quickly.
—Iain Martin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Although teams are trying to play more directly to work the ball through or over man-to-man presses, there is still the possibility of consolidating possession once the initial attack breaks down.
—Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Noun
In an interview, Hjorth recalls reading Kierkegaard while taking a flight during a personal breakdown, on the brink of a divorce.
—Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Hillmon acknowledged the defensive breakdowns after the game.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
Those with motors of a certain size are legally classified as mopeds or motorcycles and cannot legally be ridden by anyone younger than age 16.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Most of the people at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Central Pennsylvania don't have a criminal record and are classified as low-security detainees, said Deluzio, who lives in Fox Chapel and represents parts of Allegheny County and all of Beaver County.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the latest challenges is hydrogen sulfide – a foul-smelling gas given off by decomposing bat droppings inside the chamber, that caused some crew members to faint, Kengkad told CNN.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
Microbes create oxygen in the atmosphere, decompose waste material, and help plants absorb nutrients.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Her team analyzed hundreds of Reddit posts from 2020 through last August and identified frequent mentions of drug reactions and user errors, such as patients’ not knowing how to correctly dose and inject the medication.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Marcia Lucas, Academy Award-winning film editor, died at the age of 80, AP News reports.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
30 May 2026
-
Kelly Curtis, an actress, documentarian and daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, died Saturday morning, her younger sister, Jamie Lee Curtis, announced.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Minimizing soil disturbance is practiced in the springtime to loosen the soil by using a garden fork and sliding it into the soil at about a 30-degree angle, lifting up to just barely crack the soil.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
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Then the German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch cracked industrial nitrogen fixation in 1909, and the practical significance of the problem receded.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Los Angeles residents will have to choose their next city controller next week, with Zach Sokoloff looking to take down incumbent Kenneth Mejia.—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
The Howlers managed to take down the Woodpeckers 5-4 on Tuesday despite Major's exit and the scene that unfolded in the opening inning.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Twice, Liverpool shattered their transfer record last summer with the £100million purchase of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, potentially rising to £116m with add-ons, followed by the £125m deal for Alexander Isak from Newcastle United after an acrimonious summer-long saga.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
This Avs team once felt inevitable, but the past week shattered that.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
This happened years before, in such a serious way that my friend had to take a three-month medical leave of absence due to what was likely a nervous breakdown.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
When their news anchor (Peter Finch) has a nervous breakdown on the air, suddenly their ratings turn around, bringing on a moral morass only some of them are prepared to face.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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