FluentPlex

break down

verb
  1. To stop functioning. (intransitive) · I am afraid my computer will break down if I try to run it at too high a speed.
  2. To unexpectedly collapse, physically or in structure. (intransitive)
  3. To intentionally demolish; to pull down. (transitive)
  4. To fail, especially socially or for political reasons. (intransitive) · Talks broke down between Prime Minister John Doe and the opposition party.· Relations broke down between Greece and Turkey.
  5. To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender. (intransitive) · Is it worth taking it to a repair shop, or should I just break down and buy a new one?
  6. To render or to become unstable due to stress, to collapse physically or mentally. (figuratively) · Near-synonym: come undone· She is back to work now, after she broke down the other day.
  7. To render or to become weak and ineffective. (figuratively) · His authority and influence over his coordinates broke down gradually.
  8. To (cause to) decay, to decompose. · Leaves and grass will break down into compost faster if you keep them moist.
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From the library

I break down the wall.”
The Jungle Book, p. 58 · B2
Furthermore, synthetic fabrics like polyester can take hundreds of years to fully break down.
The True Cost of a Cheap T-Shirt, p. 1 · B2
Employers enthusiastically dismantled physical walls, believing that removing barriers would naturally foster spontaneous collaboration and break down hierarchical structures.
The Trouble with Open-Plan Offices, p. 1 · C1

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Words, meanings, pronunciations and translations from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); how common each word is from wordfreq. Made into this dictionary by FluentPlex.