breakdown
Americannoun
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breakdowns
plural
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a breaking down, wearing out, or sudden loss of ability to function efficiently, as of a machine.
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a loss of mental or physical health; collapse.
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an analysis or classification of something; division into parts, categories, processes, etc.
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Chemistry.
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Electricity. an electric discharge passing through faulty insulation or other material used to separate circuits or passing between electrodes in a vacuum or gas-filled tube.
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a noisy, lively folk dance.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of breakdown
First recorded in 1825–35; noun use of verb phrase break down
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"This all happened in front of my children. My child is having a nervous breakdown," said a third.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
On the MarketWatch quote page, there are many tabs with additional information, including the Analyst Estimates tab, which provides a deeper breakdown of estimates and targets.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Even inland species, such as tilapia or pond-based farmed shrimp, she said, could be affected by El Niño indirectly through a breakdown in fish meal supplies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
This breakdown can contribute to serious conditions, including diabetes and fatty liver disease.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
It didn't take long before he experienced a complete mental breakdown.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
But they had all hit unexpected walls—burnout, breakdowns, disillusionment—that were forcing them to try a different approach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Philadelphia and Boston, much older cities, have more water main breakdowns than L.A.,
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Although rulings on the shadow docket are typically unsigned and do not include vote breakdowns, we were able to identify how a justice voted in some cases.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
High blood pressure, nervous breakdowns, respiratory problems, fever and dehydration feature among the most common ailments at the site housing hundreds, according to several doctors consulted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
They aren’t always as obvious and spectacular as other breakdowns in rapid cognition.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
