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
Hannah Sacks, People.com, 25 July 2025
This article breaks down what startup speed really means and how some of the best early teams made shipping a muscle.
—Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
The resulting phenotype breakdown was roughly similar to that of the 2023 study using just Australian students.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
Another snap breaks down the scores of a family game of Spades, with son Drake, 20, and mom Joanna on one team and dad Chip Gaines and sister Ella on another.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 25 July 2025
This article breaks down what startup speed really means and how some of the best early teams made shipping a muscle.
—Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
Here’s a breakdown of what else happened in Day 2 of training camp.
—Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
The resulting phenotype breakdown was roughly similar to that of the 2023 study using just Australian students.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
The company classified the fix and vulnerability as Priority 1 and Severity 1, a clear indication that the company recognized the potentially dire consequences had the vulnerability been exploited maliciously in the wild.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
30 July 2025
-
This year, Jim Bowden classifies 14 clubs as buyers, eight as sellers and eight as on the fence.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Deputies found Angela Byrd, 44, deceased and wrapped in plastic inside the couple’s home, where Byrd allegedly lived for weeks as the body decomposed, according to the sheriff.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
22 July 2025
-
Here's how to prevent them in your home: Fruit flies feed on the liquid of decomposing food and any sticky substances.—
Emma Ashe,
Southern Living,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
The investment bank analyzed ongoing court battles and legislative authority, and concluded that Trump’s reliance on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose wide-ranging tariffs and cut bilateral deals far exceeds the powers granted by Congress.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
25 July 2025
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Stay tuned for the report this fall, which will present and analyze the survey results.—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
In Gaza, though, no one knows precisely how many people have died, or what proportion were innocents; the Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, maintains that more than half were women and children.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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The department’s homicide unit is investigating the death, as is the department’s protocol when someone dies while in custody.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
If that foundation isn’t strong, the entire system starts to crack.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
Secondary education would prove the hardest nut to crack, however, in part because white parents would not accept social mixing of the races, and Austin's Black community was still mostly confined to Central East Austin.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
In the third round to advance to the quarterfinals, D3 took down the UConn alumni group, Stars of Storrs.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 July 2025
-
Hot on the heels of a major ransomware group being taken down through an international law enforcement operation comes a new development that highlights the whack-a-mole nature of such actions: A new group, likely comprised of some of the same members, has already taken its place.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
26 July 2025
Verb
-
Kurt's key takeaways The Elmo hack shattered more than just a cheerful digital persona.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
-
That seeming consensus, under sustained attack, was shattered this week.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Her father, Edwin, was a lawyer with a dangerous relationship with booze, and her mother, also named Amelia but called Amy, was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 July 2025
-
But the high demands of a relentless industry proved too much and in late December 1964, Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown and stopped touring, becoming a full-time studio artist for the better part of more than a decade after that.—
Christina Maxouris,
CNN Money,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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