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

Relevance

meltdown

2 of 2

noun

1
as in tailspin

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in collapse

Related Words

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 The wedding — and especially Cassie and Nate’s dance, as Cassie melts down on the day she’s spent her life dreaming of, having learned about the deep financial hole Nate is in — must have felt especially layered. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 June 2026
Noun
In the wake of the financial collapse of 2007-08, Greenspan drew scrutiny for decisions that some critics believe set the stage for the meltdown. — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 22 June 2026 Cameras later caught Cunningham laughing as Bonner's meltdown escalated, and both players were hit with technical fouls. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 June 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
  • Herman Weisberg, a former NYPD detective turned high-profile private investigator, believes one phone call could still crack the case.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • The item was later determined to be crack cocaine, the sheriff’s office said.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026
Definition of crack
Noun
  • This sense of optimism fluctuated significantly until June 2023, when the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Biden’s first attempt at relieving student loan debt sent public opinion into a tailspin.
    — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • Heck, even chores like grocery shopping and filling up on gas are enough to send me into a tailspin after looking at the bill.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
Definition of tailspin
Noun
  • Vibrations from earth-moving equipment could have triggered further collapses, possibly dooming Gil — and his would-be rescuers.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Historians have devoted enormous attention to the collapse of the royal courts, the creation of state judiciaries, the drafting of new constitutions, and the construction of the legal institutions of the new republic.
    — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • This practice carries risks, such as choking and aspiration, or food entering the airway.
    — Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • Historically, modest fires every seven to 20 years kept forests from being overgrown and choked with highly flammable dead wood and brush, Williams said.
    — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
Definition of choke
Noun
  • Much of the freak-out was fed by polls supposedly showing Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco atop the field.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
  • The episode was almost entirely about Margo and her continued freak-out.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of freak-out
Noun
  • Rodríguez said numerous public officials died in the disaster, including security personnel, municipal employees and military officers.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • The Boyle Heights blaze, similar to the Eaton and Palisades fires, has revealed the region’s air monitoring can’t always tell people what they’ve been exposed to in a disaster.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of disaster
Verb
  • Sportico’s Michael McCann, who is an attorney and a law professor, breaks down the potential legal fallout of a lockout in two parts.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 July 2026
  • Larry Walshe, celebrity event designer and founder of Larry Walshe Studios, breaks down the potential significance behind Swift’s flower choices exclusively to PEOPLE.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of break down
Noun
  • 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
  • Some people in Caracas and surrounding areas suffered nervous breakdowns following the events of Wednesday afternoon, compounded by warnings that their homes might collapse.
    — Gustavo Ocando Alex, Miami Herald, 25 June 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown

Browse Nearby Words

melt (away)
melt down
meltdown
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Melt down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/melt%20down. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All