break down

British  

verb

1. (intr) to cease to function; become ineffective

   communications had broken down

2. to yield or cause to yield, esp to strong emotion or tears

   she broke down in anguish

3. (tr) to crush or destroy

4. (intr) to have a nervous breakdown

5. to analyse or be subjected to analysis

6. to separate or cause to separate into simpler chemical elements; decompose

7. (tr) to saw (a large log) into planks

8. informal

   1. stop it

   2. don't expect me to believe that; come off it

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noun

1. an act or instance of breaking down; collapse

2. short for nervous breakdown

3. an analysis or classification of something into its component parts

   he prepared a breakdown of the report

4. the sudden electrical discharge through an insulator or between two electrodes in a vacuum or gas discharge tube

5. electrical engineering the sudden transition, dependent on the bias magnitude, from a high to a low dynamic resistance in a semiconductor device

6. a lively American country dance

break down Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

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

4. 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]

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Example Sentences

Initiatives like the $15 million Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge encourage the development of statewide talent marketplaces to break down silos among students, training providers and employers.

From The Wall Street Journal

With my kitchen already broken down into zones — and each zone into discrete tasks — I have a clear sense of the work ahead.

From Salon

The spinning crystals may help the parasite safely break down excess peroxide, reducing the risk of damage from harmful chemical reactions.

From Science Daily

A mum whose five-year-old deafblind son has made his acting debut in Eastenders has said she is "so proud" of him and she hopes it will "break down barriers" for disabled children.

From BBC

As if Eusie’s arrival had broken down a last hesitation, within a week there were three new permanent additions to the household.

From Literature

Related Words

• collapse
• crash
• decline
• decrease
• depreciate
• diminish
• dip
• dive
• dwindle
• ease
• go down
• land
• plummet
• plunge
• settle
• sink
• slip
• slump
• stumble
• tumble