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:
In Warsh’s breakdown of the 199 PCE components, 54% were rising faster than 3% over 12 months, down from a postpandemic peak of 77% and far above the 32% that once counted as normal.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
It is certainly worth looking deeper into your weather app forecasts to see the hourly breakdown as showers can sometimes be tricky to forecast.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The missing figure released by China on Thursday from its side of the border included 260 foreigners, but no breakdown on nationalities was provided.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
Families of service members detailed severe shortages of fresh water and food, overflowing toilets, broken facilities and a complete breakdown in mental health support.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
It was so bad that Heinck was worried he was going to have a nervous breakdown.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Leo, London: In the wake of Bazball, I would love to see breakdowns of risk/reward for various players and various shots.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
There were some wince-worthy coverage breakdowns for the Chargers pass defense, and particularly at corner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 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.
