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
Mike Winters, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Ginny & Georgia bosses Sarah Lampert and Sarah Glinski break down the season 3 finale.
—Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 5 June 2025
There was a false breakdown below it this April during the tariff announcement that was cleaned up relatively quickly.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Verb
Its latest quarterly study breaks down average 401(k) balances by age group for the three months ending March 31.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Ginny & Georgia bosses Sarah Lampert and Sarah Glinski break down the season 3 finale.
—Samantha Highfill, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Noun
If there’s been a complete communication breakdown, and hurt and resentment have snowballed, a therapist can help with the emotional unpacking.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 5 June 2025
There was a false breakdown below it this April during the tariff announcement that was cleaned up relatively quickly.
—Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break down
Verb
-
Geomagnetic storms are classified using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
12 June 2025
-
One half of respondents say price increases have caused financial hardships for them or their household, with 16% classifying it as serious hardship.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
Molasses is food for soil microbes—tiny living organisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa—that decompose organic matter, improve soil structure, and make nutrients available to plants, Fox says.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 June 2025
-
The microbes perform vital functions like decomposing organic matter, improving water-holding capacity, cycling nutrients, and suppressing pathogens to improve plant resilience and overall soil health.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
Wilson said the cost of deferred infrastructure maintenance in La Jolla would be substantial, though it hadn’t been analyzed yet.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2025
-
When something doesn’t work, don’t punish the misstep—analyze the inputs, refine the process, and reuse the insight.—
Brent Gleeson,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
-
The filming of his funeral took three full days, and Hogestyn died the following weekend.—
Rosemary Rossi,
Variety,
9 June 2025
-
Sly Stone, a funk pioneer whose influence and impact as leader of the musical group Sly and the Family Stone was as enduring as his career was brief, died Monday in Los Angeles.—
Rob Tannenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
-
Because the game can break on slot pass to Sam Bennett, crack a bar.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
-
Nearly Every Miley Cyrus Vinyl Album Has Hit the Top 10 Throughout her career, Cyrus has pushed five projects to the Official Vinyl Albums chart, and all but one have cracked the top 10.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
The Hurricanes extended their improbable postseason run at least one more day, taking down the Louisville Cardinals 9-6 in a come-from-behind victory in Game 2 of the NCAA super regionals on Saturday.—
Cameron Priester,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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The Stars eked out a seven-game win against the Colorado Avalanche to advance out of the first round, then took down the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six games in Round 2 before falling to the Oilers for a second-straight year.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Windshields of cars were shattered, bulldozers were removing rubble.—
Rebecca Rosman,
NPR,
14 June 2025
-
The warheads aimed to do more than shatter concrete; they were meant to buy time, according to news reports.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
One of my editors used to say that every good book has at least one nervous breakdown in its background.—
Thomas E. Ricks
June 6,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
-
At 19, as his peers made plans for college, Diller had a nervous breakdown.—
Alexandra Jacobs,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20down. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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