Break Down

Pronunciation: /breɪk daʊn/

Definitions of break down

noun a physical or mental collapse

Example Sentences

A1 I had a break down after failing my exam.

A2 The car broke down on the highway.

B1 The break down of communication between the two departments led to misunderstandings.

B2 The breakdown of the company's financial reports revealed discrepancies.

C1 The breakdown of the peace talks was a setback for diplomatic relations.

C2 The breakdown of the negotiations resulted in a stalemate between the two parties.

verb to separate into smaller parts or components; to stop functioning properly

Example Sentences

A1 I can break down the task into smaller steps.

A2 She asked me to break down the instructions so it's easier to understand.

B1 The teacher will break down the lesson into different sections for us to study.

B2 It's important to break down complex problems into smaller parts to solve them effectively.

C1 The analyst will break down the data to identify patterns and trends.

C2 He is able to break down complicated theories into simple concepts for others to grasp.

Examples of break down in a Sentence

formal The engineer will break down the complex problem into smaller components.

informal I can't believe my car decided to break down on the highway.

slang I'm gonna need to break down this math problem before the test tomorrow.

figurative After the breakup, she couldn't help but break down in tears.

Grammatical Forms of break down

• past tense: broke
• plural: break downs
• comparative: more broken down
• superlative: most broken down
• present tense: break down
• future tense: will break down
• perfect tense: have broken down
• continuous tense: is breaking down
• singular: break down
• positive degree: break down
• infinitive: to break down
• gerund: breaking down
• participle: broken down

Origin and Evolution of break down

First Known Use: 1300 year

Language of Origin: Old English and Middle English

Story behind the word: The term 'break down' originated from Old English and Middle English, where 'break' meant to separate or shatter, and 'down' was used as an intensifier.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'break down' evolved to also mean to analyze or dismantle something into smaller parts for better understanding or repair.