break down

break down
I
(Roget's IV) v.
1. [To analyze]
Syn. examine, investigate, dissect; see analyze 1 .
2. [To overcome]
Syn. surmount, overwhelm, conquer; see defeat 1 , 2 .
3. [To malfunction]
Syn. fail, stop, malfunction, go out of order, falter, misfire, give out, go down, crash, cease, die, collapse, succumb, backfire, conk out*, go kaput*, go on the blink*, go on the fritz*, go haywire*, go blooey*, go kerflooey*, crack up*, curl up*, roll up*, bomb*, run out of gas*, peter out*, fizzle out*, go out of commission*, get out of gear*, get out of whack*, get out of kilter*, flake out*.
II
(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb 1. To cause the complete ruin or wreckage of: bankrupt, cross up, demolish, destroy, finish, ruin, shatter, sink, smash, spoil, torpedo, undo, wash up, wrack2, wreck. Slang: total. Idiom: put the kibosh on. See HELP. 2. To cease functioning properly: fail, give out. Slang: conk out. See THRIVE. 3. To separate into parts for study: analyze, anatomize, dissect, resolve. See ASSEMBLE, INVESTIGATE. 4. To take (something) apart: disassemble, dismantle, dismount, take down. See ASSEMBLE. 5. To reduce or become reduced to pieces or components: break up, crumble, decompose, disintegrate, dissolve, fragment, fragmentize. See CONTINUE, HELP. 6. To become or cause to become rotten or unsound: decay, decompose, deteriorate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy, rot, spoil, taint, turn. Idioms: go bad, go to pot, go to seed. See BETTER, THRIVE.

English dictionary for students. 2013.

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  • break down — {v.} (stress on down ) 1. To smash or hit (something) so that it falls; cause to fall by force. * /The firemen broke down the door./ 2. To reduce or destroy the strength or effect of; weaken; win over. * /By helpful kindness the teacher broke… …   Dictionary of American idioms

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  • break down — (someone) 1. to cause someone to become emotional. Andy broke down and cried several times during his retirement speech. 2. to weaken someone. I felt so good, I felt like nothing could break me down or make me sick …   New idioms dictionary

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  • break down — ► break down 1) suddenly cease to function or continue. 2) lose control of one s emotions when in distress. Main Entry: ↑break …   English terms dictionary

  • break|down — «BRAYK DOWN», noun, adjective. –n. 1. a) failure to work: »Lack of oil caused a breakdown in the motor. b) failure; collapse: »... the breakdown of the old regime (Edmund Wilson). 2. loss of health; w …   Useful english dictionary

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  • break down — *analyze, resolve, dissect Contrasted words: concatenate, articulate, *integrate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • break down — verb 1. make ineffective (Freq. 3) Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination • Syn: ↑crush • Derivationally related forms: ↑breakdown • Hypernyms: ↑change, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

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