break down

Explore definitions, synonyms, and language insights of break down

Definitions

Verb
make ineffective; "Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"
Verb
make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features; "analyze a specimen"; "analyze a sentence"; "analyze a chemical compound"
Verb
lose control of one''s emotions; "When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely"; "When her baby died, she snapped"
Verb
stop operating or functioning; "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"
Verb
fall apart; "the building crumbled after the explosion"; "Negotiations broke down"
Verb
cause to fall or collapse
Verb
separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts
Verb
collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack