as in dilapidated
in a bad or weak condition because of being old, not well cared for, etc.
A broken-down car was blocking one of the lanes of the road. His body was now broken-down after many years of hard living.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in separated
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decomposed
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 cut
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 crashed
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in cracked
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 taken down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in shattered
to cause to break with violence and much noise
firefighters had to break down the wall to rescue the kitten
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken-down
Adjective
-
City officials say failing lifeguard towers present two problems: Lifeguards could get injured inside a dilapidated structure, and the public could be at higher risk if lifeguards can’t effectively scan beaches and bays.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2025 -
The film follows three characters – a traditional beekeeper, a healer and a priest attempting to save a dilapidated church – and features archival material dating back to the 1930s.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Data held in qubits is affected by data held in other qubits, even when physically separated.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Once the ladies are separated, Jackie pulls Heavenly aside to scold her for her behavior.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The House voted to scale back the city’s spending to 2024 levels in March, sparking a crisis as Bowser scrambled to find how to cut $1.1 billion.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Now cuts to federal funding threaten efforts to prevent more cases and outbreaks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Carbonaceous chondrites tend to be weaker and more crumbly than other meteorites, so these objects just don’t stand as much of a chance.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Then, McIlroy hit a weak drive to the right and was blocked by pines.—
Time,
Time,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Our recommendations are sorted by the best plans for older dogs, for puppies, for dogs with pre-existing conditions, for wellness plans and for households with multiple dogs.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
30 Dec. 2024
-
But Moyes had other ideas — as did Ed Woodward in his first summer as United’s chief executive — and sorted it out in a frank discussion with Rooney.—
Daniel Taylor,
The Athletic,
29 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The premier Copley Cup — which for decades drew the nation’s elite men’s varsity eights for an early-season east/west showdown – has disintegrated into an alumni race.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
-
The second phase was meant to pave the way to an end to the war, although the truce disintegrated when Israeli forces resumed airstrikes on Gaza.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes the internal organs are inspected in situ, but more typically they are removed, washed down, and dissected on a water table.—
Samuel Ashworth,
The Atlantic,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Each release became an event; her every move was dissected by social media.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Nunn died in 2016 from leukemia at age 63.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Since the flames set a blaze, 27 people died and thousands of structures were destroyed, displacing entire communities.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
28 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Cite this Entry
“Broken-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken-down. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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