melt down 1 of 2

verb

Definition of melt downnext
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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meltdown

2 of 2

noun

1
as in tailspin

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in collapse

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of melt down
Verb
Most of the statue was melted down and reformed into musket balls, and several of these are on display in the opening section of the show across from four large intact pieces of the original. — Cat Dawson, ARTnews.com, 3 July 2026 Parents won't spend the day pushing strollers across sprawling pathways trying to cover ground before someone melts down. — Jacqueline Dole, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
Noun
Like other senior bankers, Sehnaoui was harshly criticized following Lebanon's historic economic meltdown in 2019, when most people lost access to their money. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 Always have a backup plan in case the child is not into it, twists an ankle or has a meltdown. — Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for melt down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for melt down
  1. crack
  2. tailspin
  3. collapse
  4. choke
  5. freak-out
  6. disaster
  7. break down
  8. nervous breakdown
Verb
  • ScreenshotA complaint that appears to have been filed on July 8, 2021, through the county's SeeClickFix, or 311, online reporting system described cracking and chipping concrete pillars in the building's underground parking garage.
    — Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • While no California city cracked WalletHub’s top 50 spots for first-time buyers, several communities ranked well above many other cities in the state.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of crack
Noun
  • But a trip to New York City sent Riley back into a tailspin, an alarming and frustrating three games at the plate for the 31-year-old.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
  • Of course, the collection sold out within minutes of dropping, sending shoppers into a tailspin.
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 17 July 2026
Definition of tailspin
Noun
  • Nonetheless, the quick collapse of the private equity proposal demonstrates that even a dominant FIFA president cannot override unified resistance from soccer’s most influential stakeholders.
    — Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Springs also earned his MLB-worst 11th loss of the season as his early exit set the stage for a late-inning bullpen collapse.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Today, however, several armed groups allied with Tehran are back to pressuring Iran’s foes by opening new fronts that complicate the war and threaten to choke the global economy.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The important thing to know is that these techniques should only be used if your pet is truly choking – not simply coughing or gagging – and your pet should still be seen by a veterinarian afterward, even if the object is removed.
    — Cathy M. Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of choke
Noun
  • The Derby’s question is quite often decided by whichever colt or filly has the racing focus and the strength not to succumb to his or her ambient freak-out.
    — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Even so, the nation’s collective freak-out should serve as a wake-up call to both the food industry and regulators.
    — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of freak-out
Noun
  • Established by Congress in 1990, TPS gives temporary protection to people who don’t feel safe returning to countries plagued by disaster or armed conflict such as El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • That was, frankly, ridiculous, and our coverage said as much, arguing that this deep dive into one of Hollywood’s most notorious genre disasters deserved a much wider release.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • Here Phillips breaks down some of the key looks from both films and her experience working with Wilde.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Fuse is breaking down big challenges in fusion energy into small, solvable objectives and has managed to build the world’s first IMG pulser within a span of three years and within the budget.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of break down
Noun
  • Embodied by Maradona, successive Argentinean national teams played with flair and toughness and an element of chaos, often on the edge of nervous breakdown.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • After suffering a nervous breakdown and being taken care of by Marlon Brando’s daughter Cheyenne in Tahiti, Jones eventually returned to his life as a mogul of music, television and magazines.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown

Browse Nearby Words

melt (away)
melt down
meltdown
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Cite this Entry

“Melt down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melt%20down. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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