as in to crack
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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1
as in tailspin
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in collapse
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of meltdown
Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 5 Aug. 2025
But making Anna a music-biz manager trying to keep her heartbroken client Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) from a meltdown on the eve of a big concert at the Wiltern is just a laborious way of wedging Anna’s former band, Pink Slip, into a splashy concert climax.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Josiah Neeley, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
The market melted down, Treasury bonds wobbled, and disaster seemed imminent.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for meltdown
Verb
Anti-nuclear sentiment spiked in the wake of a partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in 1979, which triggered some radioactive releases and the evacuation of thousands of people.
—Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 5 Aug. 2025
But making Anna a music-biz manager trying to keep her heartbroken client Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) from a meltdown on the eve of a big concert at the Wiltern is just a laborious way of wedging Anna’s former band, Pink Slip, into a splashy concert climax.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Unlike aluminum cans, which can be melted down and reused an indefinite number of times, plastic degrades during the ordinary recycling process, limiting its usefulness.
—Josiah Neeley, Oc Register, 21 May 2025
The market melted down, Treasury bonds wobbled, and disaster seemed imminent.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for meltdown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meltdown
Verb
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Meanwhile, Mexico cracked the top 10 for the first time since the report's inception in 2012—the year America peaked at 11th place.—
Anjali Chaudhry,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Consider how most cookware manufacturers warn against heating empty pots, which can lead to cracking, warping, or even harmful fumes.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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After holding a nine-game lead in the National League West entering play on July 4, the Dodgers went into a tailspin.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
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In the midst of the Giants’ tailspin, the team called on their top pitching prospect to make his debut.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Since the 1990s, the pace of collapse has picked up.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
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When markets freeze and there's no backstop, cascades can turn into floods instantly, triggering catastrophic collapse.—
Roomy Khan,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The dog remained unfazed during Fowler's minor freak-out.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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Oasis’s last tour, in 2008, was riven by fights, freak-outs, and sibling rivalry.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
7 June 2025
Noun
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The assessment will inform a potential request by Gov. Tony Evers for a presidential disaster declaration, which would unlock federal aid.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Federal and state agencies have said little on whether immigration enforcement would be suspended in a disaster.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Originally published in 1961, the novel follows Josephine, a young woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
19 Aug. 2025
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Then there was Spark’s nervous breakdown in January 1954.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Tyler Loong turned out to be quite prophetic, because the Men’s singles draw was a bloodbath for the top seeds.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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As videos poured in of the incredibly thick rough, fans began to expect a bloodbath this week.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Though so many clubs have choked on their own disco dust, the club-model actually works here, largely because the original home base, Maison Estelle, is still the toast of Mayfair, and artistic director Eiesha Pasricha understands how to create cool.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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In 2019, Anne Arundel County Public Schools student Bowen Levy died just days after choking on a glove at school.—
Chris Papst,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meltdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meltdown. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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