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 information, classified as secret, pertained to military targets and Russian military capabilities, according to the plea agreement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 July 2025
-
Hotels were classified among resorts, city hotels, inn or safari lodge.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
What then starts is a roughly 30-day process where the body naturally decomposes and becomes nutrient-rich dirt.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
16 July 2025
-
An American man who vanished weeks ago in Turks and Caicos is still presumed missing, despite the fact that a decomposing male body was found in the island paradise 10 days ago.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
16 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
-
Research analyzing millions of profiles reveals that both men and women often pursue partners who are estimated to be about 25% more attractive than themselves, despite these advances yielding fewer responses.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
If their parents died, the sisters would split their inheritance.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
-
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
-
While in court, he was forced to break open one of the bulbs, leaving one of them cracked.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
-
If your nail beds consistently crack, split, and struggle to grow much at all, this professional-grade cuticle oil will nurse them back to health.—
Lisa DeSantis,
Glamour,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
If any bird of prey were going to take down a human, these would be the ones.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
-
The Celtics took down the New York Knicks 94-81 on Sunday to improve to 2-0 at the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
13 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
-
There are no signs of violence, no visible trauma—only the disquieting certainty that something has shattered inside her.—
Time,
Time,
18 July 2025
Noun
-
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 29 Jul. 2025.
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