# break down

Pronunciation: say "brayk DOWN" /ˌbɹeɪk ˈdaʊn/

## Phrasal verb

1. To stop working, as a machine, vehicle, or computer does.
   - Simple: To stop working, used about a machine, car, or computer.
   - _The bus broke down halfway up the mountain road, and we waited two hours for a replacement._
   - _Older laptops tend to break down when they overheat._
2. To collapse physically or mentally under stress, or to make a person collapse that way.
   - Simple: To fall apart in body or mind because of too much stress, or to make someone fall apart.
   - _She broke down at the funeral and had to leave the room._
   - _Hours of hostile questioning failed to break down the witness._
3. To divide something into its parts in order to give more detail or a closer analysis.
   - Simple: To split something into smaller parts so you can explain it in more detail.
   - _Ask the accountant to break down the expenses by department before the meeting._
   - _The project's total cost breaks down into labor, materials, and permits._
4. To fail, especially in social relationships or for political reasons.
   - Simple: To fail, often because people or groups cannot agree or get along.
   - _Negotiations between the union and management broke down over pension benefits._
   - _Trust between neighbors can break down quickly once a dispute goes to court._
5. To decay or decompose, or to cause something to decay or decompose.
   - Simple: To slowly rot away into tiny pieces, or to make something rot.
   - _Most plastics take a very long time to break down in a landfill._
   - _Fungi and bacteria gradually break down fallen logs on the forest floor._
6. To demolish or pull down something on purpose.
   - Simple: To knock or pull something down on purpose.
   - _Police officers broke down the door of the apartment after no one answered._
   - _The new owners plan to break down the crumbling garden wall and put in a patio._
7. To separate something, or become separated, into a number of parts.
   - Simple: To split into several smaller parts, or to split something that way.
   - _Warehouse staff break down each incoming pallet into single boxes for local delivery._
   - _After the festival, the crew broke down the stage in under three hours._
8. To collapse without warning, either physically or in structure.
   - Simple: To suddenly fall or fall apart, in the body or in a structure.
   - _The favorite broke down on the final turn and was pulled up by her jockey._
   - _Engineers warned that the aging seawall could break down in the next major storm._
9. To become weak and ineffective, or to make someone or something weak and ineffective.
   - Simple: To become weak and stop working well, or to make something weak like that.
   - _The visitors spent ninety minutes trying to break down a stubborn, well-drilled defense._
   - _The general's authority broke down as his officers began ignoring his orders._
10. To stop resisting and give in or give up, finally conceding or surrendering.
   - Simple: To stop saying no and finally give in or give up.
   - _After months of squinting at menus, he finally broke down and admitted he needed glasses._
   - _Many parents eventually break down and let their kids stay up late on weekends._
11. To digest food, or to be digested in the body.
   - Simple: To change food into smaller parts that the body can use.
   - _Enzymes in saliva begin to break down starch before food even reaches the stomach._
   - _A heavy, fatty meal breaks down slowly, which is why it can leave you feeling full for hours._

## Noun · break-down

Pronunciation: say "BRAYK-down" /ˈbɹeɪkˌdaʊn/

12. Alternative form of breakdown. — Alternative form of breakdown.
   - Simple: Alternative form of breakdown. It means the same thing but is written with a hyphen.
   - _After the break-down of the peace talks, both delegations flew home._
   - _The report includes a full break-down of spending by department._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/break-down (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).