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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to die
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
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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
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6
as in to take down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
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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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of break down
PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Kingdom was the club spot and Mohawk was a definite must-hit for the Drums, but saw Destroy Boys drop last minute because their bus broke down on the road.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Nov. 2024
Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
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—USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break down 
Verb
In the Library and Adjustment modes, the panel breaks down further into two tabs: Project and Metadata for the first and Manual and Presets for the second.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Kingdom was the club spot and Mohawk was a definite must-hit for the Drums, but saw Destroy Boys drop last minute because their bus broke down on the road.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
The breakdown of glycine and leucine, the two amino acids added to the blood, were deemed responsible for as much as 60% of the bat’s total energy production during the run.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Massachusetts Presidential Election Results Massachusetts U.S. Senate Election Results
See our complete Massachusetts U.S. Senate Election Results, including county-by-county maps and breakdowns:
Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team.
—USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
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Under state law, rape is classified as a felony punishable by three to eight years in prison.Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Nov. 2024
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The second-largest whale species after blue whales, fin whales are classified as endangered species, according to NOAA.Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The whales were left to decompose naturally on land.Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
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Cover the Pile Compost that is decomposing properly will heat up in the middle.Lauren David, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The Golden Source Just as other areas of the business use business intelligence tools, CISOs need ways to analyze data and deliver actionable information that helps guide business decisions.Jonathan Gill, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
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For its 2025-2026 Best Places to Live rankings, the publication analyzed 150 cities in the U.S. based on quality of life, job market, value of living and desire to live in the area.Cailey Gleeson, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The warning came after the US State Department confirmed to CNN that an American citizen had died in Vang Vieng.Lilit Marcus, CNN, 22 Nov. 2024
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The name of Frank Auerbach, the British artist who died on November 11th, at the age of ninety-three, is not especially well known in the United States.Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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If not, there will be another opportunity to crack the puzzle tomorrow.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
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The seat is made from all-weather wicker, which is crack and fade-resistant, and suspended by a durable steel frame that supports up to 250 pounds.Maggie Horton, People.com, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The San Diego Padres were the closest team to taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 postseason as Los Angeles dominated its way to a World Series title.Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
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Meta recently took down a ring of accounts that appeared to come from a compound in Cambodia after being alerted to it through OpenAI, which found that the scammers had been trying to use ChatGPT to translate their messages to victims.Kevin Collier, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The last Wisconsin Supreme Court election in 2023, which also determined partisan control on the high court, shattered records in spending as groups threw tens of millions of dollars into advertising.Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 28 Nov. 2024
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Either way, Moana 2 will shatter numerous records in its launch, including become the top Thanksgiving opening of all time for the five days, beating Frozen ($94 million).Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The Gutierrez brothers grew up in a low-income house with an alcoholic father who frequently beat both his sons and his wife, who at one point was hospitalized after a nervous breakdown, according to Diane Mosnik, a clinical neuropsychologist who evaluated Gutierrez in 2019.Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 16 July 2024
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Set in 1960s Italy, Sally Bishop (Monroe) and her husband travel to a remote villa in the wake of Sally’s nervous breakdown.Zac Ntim, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near break down
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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