1
as in classifying
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 decomposing
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 analyzing
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 dying
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in melting down
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 taking down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in shattering
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
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Recent Examples of breaking down
Not disappearing and not fully breaking down, but moving through a human body, into wastewater, through treatment systems never designed to catch it completely, and then out into coastal waters where tides blur the boundary between city and sea.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
However, Martinez might look to England’s clash with Croatia as a blueprint for success, with more opportunity to counterpress and spring forward to exploit the space in behind — rather than breaking down a stubborn low block.
—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Chewing, as well as enzymes in your saliva, begin the process of breaking down food, which is then swallowed to travel through your esophagus into your stomach.
—
Kristen Gasnick,
Verywell Health,
24 June 2026
But the company touts itself as a more sophisticated method than merely detecting if a work is present in training data, rather breaking down on a more granular level how the works are being used.
—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
Following years of Xbox breaking down platform barriers for its games with competitors PlayStation and Nintendo under longtime chief Phil Spencer, the move was a radical change by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.
—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
On April 9, officials with the archdiocese provided Leawood Police with a flash drive containing the church’s financial records, the affidavit said, along with a spreadsheet breaking down all financial activity from 2021 through 2025.
—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
The wasps build their nests by breaking down plant and wood fibers to form a papery substance.
—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Jinky appeared stunned — and repeatedly asked whether the money was real before breaking down in tears.
—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
However, Martinez might look to England’s clash with Croatia as a blueprint for success, with more opportunity to counterpress and spring forward to exploit the space in behind — rather than breaking down a stubborn low block.
—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Chewing, as well as enzymes in your saliva, begin the process of breaking down food, which is then swallowed to travel through your esophagus into your stomach.
—
Kristen Gasnick,
Verywell Health,
24 June 2026
But the company touts itself as a more sophisticated method than merely detecting if a work is present in training data, rather breaking down on a more granular level how the works are being used.
—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
Following years of Xbox breaking down platform barriers for its games with competitors PlayStation and Nintendo under longtime chief Phil Spencer, the move was a radical change by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.
—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
On April 9, officials with the archdiocese provided Leawood Police with a flash drive containing the church’s financial records, the affidavit said, along with a spreadsheet breaking down all financial activity from 2021 through 2025.
—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
The wasps build their nests by breaking down plant and wood fibers to form a papery substance.
—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Jinky appeared stunned — and repeatedly asked whether the money was real before breaking down in tears.
—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking down
Verb
-
The legislation, which Gribbin advocated for, authorizes the warnings by classifying a shark attack as an event for which an emergency alert can be issued.
-
He is credited as the first and most significant contributor to South Florida archaeology of the time, classifying materials, recording 49 sites across Miami-Dade and making the first outline of a chronology of indigenous habitation.
Verb
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The Yolo County Central Landfill will build a new system that will convert methane from decomposing waste into renewable natural gas, the county announced Tuesday.
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The ocean becomes a creamy expanse splotched with brown mats of decomposing algae, according to photos shared by Abrams.
Verb
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Following the exercise, the Royal Navy capability team and the Air and Space Warfare Centre began analyzing the results, with additional testing potentially planned aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth.
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How that’s judged will look different than some expect, particularly when analyzing F2 results and his F1 practice outings.
Verb
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Tielemans then converted a penalty in the dying minutes of extra time to seal a thrilling 3-2 win.
-
Actor Charlie Gordon portrays a young boy from a merchant family who was threatened by Ormund into dying his hair blond and posing as Daeron in order to keep the real prince safe.
Verb
-
What beef tallow is and how it’s made Beef tallow is a white, shelf-stable cooking fat made by rendering — or melting down — the fatty tissue that surrounds a cow’s organs, according to Michelle Crouch at AARP.
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Practice non-reaction This can feel counterintuitive, but sometimes the best strategy is to take a pause and not immediately react or intervene when your child is melting down.
Verb
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Following his arrest, Vance and his co-conspirators destroyed evidence by deleting phone messages and taking down the two websites, the plea agreement says.
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The ensuing public backlash led the Senate on Wednesday to unanimously agree with a measure that would block the government from taking down the OOI.
Verb
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SoCal’s housing market growth SpaceX’s record-shattering IPO has unleashed a wave of high-end home shoppers poised to reshape Southern California’s already tight coastal housing markets.
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At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.
Verb
-
No two suburbs are alike, but several cities in this ranking share some features in common, like proximity to water and higher education.
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So, that was a huge unlock for me in terms of just making the work sustainable, which is where the different series, like Botched, What’s in the Fridge, and the ranking content originated from.
Cite this Entry
“Breaking down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20down. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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