to break down

Examples

• All

• Dad called her a trooper and praised her gumption, then broke down in sobs.

  Fiction book (1995)

• But he literally broke down right then because we had been through so much.

  Julian Dorey

• It's all she can do to not break down in front of him.

  Fiction book (1990)

• And I just broke down like on my knees crying.

• The mere sight of him made grown men want to break down and cry.

• There was a moment in the middle of the telethon where I actually broke down.

  Where the Truth Lies (2005)

• When he got the news, we are told that Octavius broke down and cried.

• It really hurts me to think about my mother breaking down and crying.

  Anything Goes With James English

• When she received the bad news, she couldn't hold back her emotions any longer and broke down crying.

• After months of stress and pressure, he finally broke down in front of his friends.

Synonyms

C

to collapse

vsto break down

645 3.9

To fall down suddenly, for example when a person faints or a building breaks

is more about personal emotional loss and may include crying or fainting

L

to lose it

vsto break down

• Informal

326 7.5

Suddenly stop controlling your feelings and become very angry or upset

is more likely to involve sadness or a physical giving way than anger

F

to fall apart

vsto break down

• Informal

152 4.2

To lose control of your feelings because of strong stress or sadness

is broader and can also involve losing bodily control or strength

S

to sob

vsto break down

141 1.0

To cry with short, noisy breaths

is a specific noisy cry, while the main concept covers wider reactions

C

to crack

vsto break down

69 6.5

To lose control of your emotions under strong pressure

does not require pressure and can arise from many emotional triggers

B

to break up

vsto break down

• Informal

30 5.0

Become unable to cope because of strong stress or emotion

is often shorter and may end with crying or temporary fainting

B

to burst into tears

vsto break down

25 2.4

To suddenly cry because of a strong feeling

is broader and can include bodily failure or quieter distress

M

to melt down

vsto break down

18 6.9

Lose control emotionally or fail completely because it gets too hot

is usually less catastrophic and may be a milder reaction

C

to crumple

vsto break down

15 3.9

Suddenly fall down because something is weak or hit hard

is more emotional and can happen without obvious physical giving way

G

to go to pieces

vsto break down

13 6.1

Lose control of your feelings because of shock or sadness

is broader and can happen without a single shocking event

D

to dissolve

vsto break down

8 5.3

To suddenly start crying or laughing and lose control

is not always sudden and can develop more slowly over time

C

to come apart at the seams

vsto break down

• Informal

5 7.2

To fall apart or stop working properly after being stable

is usually sudden and can be immediate rather than slow deterioration

C

to crack up

vsto break down

• Informal

4 7.4

To have a nervous breakdown because of too much stress

is more general and can happen suddenly without long pressure causes

D

to decompensate

vsto break down

• Specialized

3 8.9

To lose normal physical or mental ability because of illness

is a general emotional or physical loss rather than a clinical deterioration

D

to drop one's bundle

vsto break down

• UK

9.9

To suddenly lose control of your feelings because you feel overwhelmed

is similar but can also involve bodily failure rather than only emotional upset

C

to come undone

vsto break down

• Informal

5.3

To begin to fail, fall apart, or lose control

is more personal and often describes an individual's emotional failure

Antonyms

C

to compose

17 4.7

To calm yourself after strong feelings

K

to keep one's cool

• Informal

1 3.4

Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard

How Distressed

to collapse

645 3.9

to melt down

18 6.9

to break down

117 3.9

to upset

273 1.0

to feel uncomfortable

103 1.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology