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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
stop it
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
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]
Example Sentences
That is demonstrated by breaking down the number and quality of chances that players have had in the top flight so far.
Israel began striking Gaza again in March, after it said talks to extend the cease-fire broke down.
Your ability to communicate with each other has broken down, and you need third-party help to learn the tools to speak to each other respectfully, resolve disagreements and manage your money.
But once talks broke down over an extension in Carolina, the Hurricanes decided that the wisest long-term move was to ship him somewhere else.
When the Song dynasty took over China in the late 10th century, the feudal system that gave aristocrats control of land and peasants in return for military service was breaking down.
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