View synonyms for break down

break down

verb

(intr) to cease to function; become ineffective
communications had broken down
to yield or cause to yield, esp to strong emotion or tears
she broke down in anguish
(tr) to crush or destroy
(intr) to have a nervous breakdown
to analyse or be subjected to analysis
to separate or cause to separate into simpler chemical elements; decompose
(tr) to saw (a large log) into planks
informal
1. stop it
2. don't expect me to believe that; come off it

noun

an act or instance of breaking down; collapse
short for nervous breakdown
an analysis or classification of something into its component parts
he prepared a breakdown of the report
the sudden electrical discharge through an insulator or between two electrodes in a vacuum or gas discharge tube
electrical engineering the sudden transition, dependent on the bias magnitude, from a high to a low dynamic resistance in a semiconductor device
a lively American country dance

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Idioms and Phrases

Demolish, destroy, either physically or figuratively, as in The carpenters broke down the partition between the bedrooms , or The governor's speeches broke down the teachers' opposition to school reform . [Late 1300s]

Separate into constituent parts, analyze. For example, I insisted that they break down the bill into the separate charges for parts and labor , or The chemist was trying to break down the compound's molecules . [Mid-1800s]

Stop functioning, cease to be effective or operable, as in The old dishwasher finally broke down . [Mid-1800s]

Become distressed or upset; also, have a physical or mental collapse, as in The funeral was too much for her and she broke down in tears , or After seeing all his work come to nothing, he broke down and had to be treated by a psychiatrist . [Late 1800s]

Related Words

breakdown breakdown van

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