1
as in ranks
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 decomposes
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 analyzes
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 dies
to stop functioning
the computer finally broke down and had to be replaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in melts 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 takes down
to take apart
the crew was breaking down the party tent when we arrived
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in shatters
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 breaks down
The report breaks down teacher salaries by state and region, too.
—
Cory Turner, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
That said, not every set breaks down exactly this way—and that's fine.
—Jamie Thilman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Hydrolysis is a chemical process that breaks down molecules.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 20 Apr. 2026
From the moment of his election, Leo has sought to offer a leadership that breaks down divisions.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Ookla also breaks down the user test samples by Wi-Fi generation, offering a glimpse of how many Americans are stuck on older wireless standards and could use an upgrade.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The children's special breaks down the whole story of Jesus' death and resurrection.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The study and device are likely to help researchers understand biological systems, such as circadian rhythms, and nonreciprocal processes, such as how the body breaks down food.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
Cory Turner, NPR, 27 Apr. 2026
The Daily Money breaks down complex consumer and financial news.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
That said, not every set breaks down exactly this way—and that's fine.
—Jamie Thilman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Hydrolysis is a chemical process that breaks down molecules.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 20 Apr. 2026
From the moment of his election, Leo has sought to offer a leadership that breaks down divisions.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Ookla also breaks down the user test samples by Wi-Fi generation, offering a glimpse of how many Americans are stuck on older wireless standards and could use an upgrade.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
The children's special breaks down the whole story of Jesus' death and resurrection.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
The study and device are likely to help researchers understand biological systems, such as circadian rhythms, and nonreciprocal processes, such as how the body breaks down food.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks down
Verb
-
The Phillies fired Thomson as the team ranks last or in the bottom part of the league in several statistical categories, like run differential, ERA, batting average and OPS, largely with the same roster as the previous four seasons.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
While at Penn State, Trautwein, a former All-SEC performer for the Gators, recruited Miller out of Anna, Texas, as well as Hiller, who hails from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and ranks as the nation’s top interior line prospect.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Another process, thermogenic hydrogen formation, occurs in deep sedimentary basins when organic material decomposes under high temperatures, roughly 480 to 930 degrees Fahrenheit (250 to 500 degrees Celsius).—
Promise Longe,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The clever bit is when these fuels flow through the Draper engine and encounter a catalyst that decomposes the hydrogen peroxide into high-pressure oxygen and steam.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This article was generated by the Bay Area Home Report Bot, software that analyzes home sales or other data and creates an article based on a template created by humans.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Set to land May 1, the reader analyzes hundreds of digital HOA forms submitted by real estate agents to the program, which uses AI to review those pages and render a four-page evaluation.—
Amancai Biraben,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Domestic violence suspect crashes, dies while fleeing police A man suspected in a domestic violence incident Friday morning in Plymouth led police on a brief chase on Route 3 before ultimately crashing his car into another vehicle and dying.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
When a patient dies from a preventable error, the doctors and nurses go home.—
Joe Kiani,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The snowpack acts as a natural water storage system for California, and ideally when the region’s climate shifts from cold to warm and dry, the snow gradually melts down from rivers and creeks to fill reservoirs over a period of months.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Kennedale takes down Van Alstyne Senior guards Jacoby Lovings and Trey Smith scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, as Kennedale defeated Van Alstyne 60-47 in a Class 4A Division II area-round game on Friday at Little Elm Braswell High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Related Stories The film shatters stereotypical visuals of space, veering away from cold and desaturated colors, and using warmer tones such as orange.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
-
His refusal to take the curse seriously shatters her trust, leaving her questioning their entire relationship.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The American Cancer Society has also expanded its guidelines and no longer automatically classifies someone who quit smoking more than 15 years ago as low-risk.—
Caleb Hellerman,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Globally, the International Union for Conservation of Nature also classifies polar bears as vulnerable.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20down. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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