What are some alternative words for break down?

Synonyms for break down

This thesaurus page is about all possible synonyms, equivalent, same meaning and similar words for the term break down.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. break down, crush(verb)

    make ineffective

    "Martin Luther King tried to break down racial discrimination"

    vanquish, decompose, crush, analyze, conk out, beat, fail, snap, suppress, go bad, tumble, break up, trounce, smash, give way, collapse, demolish, beat out, analyse, break, give out, crumble, go, squash, squeeze, crumple, die, dissect, mash, oppress, take apart, lose it, squelch, jam, shell

  2. analyze, analyse, break down, dissect, take apart(verb)



    go, examine, conk out, give way, psychoanalyse, discerp, dismantle, psychoanalyze, disassemble, collapse, dismember, crush, dissect, canvass, analyse, break, take apart, study, lose it, snap, crumble, decompose, break up, die, tumble, break apart, canvas, analyze, fail, give out, crumple, go bad

  3. break down, lose it, snap(verb)

    lose control of one's emotions


    go, conk out, snatch up, click, give way, shoot, tear, bust, collapse, snarl, crush, dissect, analyse, break, take apart, die, lose it, snap, crumble, decompose, crack, break up, give out, tumble, photograph, snatch, analyze, fail, crumple, flick, rupture, go bad


    stop operating or functioning


    peter out, function, crumble, give off, perish, break away, give way, unwrap, hold out, run, endure, lead, give out, hand out, split up, conk out, operate, dampen, travel, collapse, last, go wrong, bomb, transgress, discontinue, founder, weaken, go away, crumple, bump, discover, demote, stop, go, take apart, move, damp, ease up, rifle, separate, decompose, miscarry, split, run low, die out, cash in one's chips, dissect, smash, pause, move over, spoil, pass out, pass away, get out, drop dead, fracture, relegate, bring out, violate, reveal, divulge, part, betray, let on, blend in, run short, get around, get going, locomote, intermit, wear out, expire, lose it, check, break dance, break-dance, live, give-up the ghost, kick the bucket, breach, blend, burst, give, plump, crack, ruin, run down, fit, erupt, emit, better, flush it, belong, tumble, offend, go bad, become flat, survive, crush, get, disclose, break off, snuff it, bust, flunk, become, give away, break up, analyse, live on, interrupt, break out, croak, run out, choke, poop out, pop off, pall, sound, fall in, soften, go against, let out, come apart, neglect, extend, start, depart, kick downstairs, distribute, decease, die, pass, proceed, infract, exit, conk, fail, buy the farm, bankrupt, hold up, develop, expose, break, analyze, fall apart, break in, snap off, snap, yield, work, cave in, wear, recrudesce

  5. crumble, crumple, tumble, break down, collapse(verb)

    fall apart


    topple, crease, collapse, analyze, buckle, crack, crack up, rumple, cave in, fail, snap, twig, whirl, go bad, tumble, break up, decay, cotton on, give, crock up, knit, get wise, conk out, analyse, whirl around, fall apart, give out, crumble, cockle, catch on, go, fall in, get onto, wrinkle, break, crumple, pucker, die, decompose, get it, latch on, dissect, give way, crush, take apart, dilapidate, burst, lose it, crinkle, founder, tip

  6. break down(verb)

    cause to fall or collapse

    go, conk out, give way, collapse, crush, dissect, analyse, break, take apart, die, lose it, snap, crumble, decompose, break up, give out, tumble, analyze, fail, crumple, go bad

  7. decompose, break up, break down(verb)

    separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts

    rot, fragmentise, fragmentize, decompose, collapse, analyze, interrupt, conk out, crumple, crash, split up, pick, fail, snap, moulder, analyse, go bad, dismantle, break up, recess, decay, part, crock up, molder, sever, cut off, fragment, dissect, split, crumble, disperse, separate, disrupt, give out, dissipate, go, dissolve, give way, disintegrate, crack, disassemble, break apart, lose it, die, calve, scatter, resolve, take apart, dispel, adjourn, break, crack up, tumble, crush

  8. break down, collapse(verb)

    collapse due to fatigue, an illness, or a sudden attack

    go, conk out, give way, crack up, founder, give, collapse, cave in, crush, dissect, analyse, break, take apart, die, lose it, snap, crumble, decompose, burst, break up, give out, tumble, crack, fall in, analyze, fail, crumple, crock up, go bad

English Synonyms and Antonyms

  1. break down


    abide, afford, allow, bear, bear up under, bear with, brook, endure, permit, put up with, submit to, suffer, support, sustain, tolerate, undergo

Editors Contribution

  1. freaking out

    (of a machine or motor vehicle) suddenly cease to function.

    "his van broke down"

    Submitted by rinat on August 19, 2019  

Dictionary of English Synonymes

  1. break down

    (Active.) crush, overwhelm, overcome

  2. break down

    (Neuter.) fall, give out

How to pronounce break down?

US English

How to say break down in sign language?

  1. breakdown

Translations for break down

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"break down." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2019. Web. 21 Nov. 2019. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/break+down>.

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