breakdown

American  

[brayk-daun] / ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn /

noun

• breakdowns
  plural

1. a breaking down, wearing out, or sudden loss of ability to function efficiently, as of a machine.

2. a loss of mental or physical health; collapse.

3. an analysis or classification of something; division into parts, categories, processes, etc.

4. Chemistry.

   1. decomposition.

   2. analysis.

5. 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.

6. a noisy, lively folk dance.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• breakdowns
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of breakdown

First recorded in 1825–35; noun use of verb phrase break down

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

breakdown breakdowns

Here’s the breakdown of the permissible contributions to the parties for 2025–2026:

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026

Hamilton goes into the race with less knowledge than his rivals, a breakdown in second practice meaning he was not able to do his race-simulation run.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

In the developing retina, the breakdown of this molecule limits the formation of blue cones in the central region.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

There is a communication breakdown when one partner makes a unilateral financial decision without consulting the other, along with a locking of horns over the mortgage.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

I experience so many different health conditions— rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, dry mouth, pulmonary shock, muscle spasm—that it is impossible for me to even chronicle the degree of body breakdown.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

According to the suit, the issues led to at least one collision and two train breakdowns that stranded hundreds of travelers in the heat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

The 24-year-old is still learning how to manage the anomaly, which allows her to continue running when one of the tendons is torn but may also make her more susceptible to breakdowns.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Jo hit burnout a year into her management role, and it led to two breakdowns within a year.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

These situations often triggered larger breakdowns around cultural issues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Under the stress of trench warfare, some soldiers seemed to suffer nervous breakdowns, a condition that became known as shell shock.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

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Related Words

• disintegration
• disruption
• failure
• mishap
• nervous breakdown

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