break down
- act up (malfunction) v.
- anatomize v.
- choke up v.
- clarify v.
- classify v.
- come unglued v.
- crack v.
- crumple v.
- cry v.
- decipher v.
- decompose v.
- decompose v.
- destroy v.
- die v.
- disintegrate v.
- dismantle v.
- disorganize v.
- dissect v.
- dissolve v.
- divide v.
- explain v.
- fail v.
- fall v.
- fall apart v.
- founder v.
- fragmentize v.
- freak out v.
- inculcate v.
- indoctrinate v.
- miscarry v.
- misfire v.
- molder v.
- perish v.
- propagandize v.
- putrefy v.
- raze v.
- resolve v.
- rot v.
- simplify v.
- sob v.
- spell out v.
- spoil v.
- succumb v.
- taint v.
- turn v.
- weep v.
- wilt v.
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.
The Environment Agency said this is because legacy substances, such as heavy metals from mining, take decades to break down, and some are building up.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
I asked Hanna to break down the new breed of live shopping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The bill marks the latest back-and-forth over PFAS, chemicals that are found in many different consumer, commercial and industrial products and are known as forever chemicals because some of their components don’t easily break down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
These compounds are involved in other biological functions, including reactions carried out by liver enzymes that help break down drugs.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
He knew if he tried to talk, he would break down and sob.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
