break down
See also: breakdown
English[edit]
Verb[edit]
break down (third-person singular simple present breaks down, present participle breaking down, simple past broke down, past participle broken down or (informal) broke down)
- (intransitive) To fail, to cease to function.
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I am afraid my computer will break down if I try to run it at too high a speed.
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- (ergative, figuratively) To render or to become unstable due to stress, to collapse physically or mentally.
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She is back to work now, after she broke down the other day.
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1922, Ben Travers, A Cuckoo in the Nest, chapter 6:
- Sophia broke down here. Even at this moment she was subconsciously comparing her rendering of the part of the forlorn bride with Miss Marie Lohr's.
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- (ergative, figuratively) To render or to become weak and ineffective.
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His authority and influence over his coordinates broke down gradually.
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2012 June 2, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Belgium”, in BBC Sport:
- Hodgson's approach may not illuminate proceedings in Poland and Ukraine but early evidence suggests they will be tough to break down.
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- (ergative) To (cause to) decay, to decompose.
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Leaves and grass will break down into compost faster if you keep them moist.
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- (ergative, figuratively) to divide into parts to give more details, to provide a more indepth analysis of.
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If you don't understand, ask him to break down the numbers for you.
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- (ergative) To digest.
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His stomach took a while to break down his food.
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See also[edit]
Translations[edit]
to cease to function
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to become unstable or collapse, mentally or otherwise
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to become weak and ineffective
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to decay
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to divide into parts for analysis
Noun[edit]
break down (plural break downs)
- Misspelling of breakdown.
