Meaning
- To stop functioning especially for machines or vehicles.
- To lose emotional control such as laughing or crying.
- To divide into parts or explain in detail.
- To force entry by breaking it.
- To decompose or disintegrate physically or chemically.
Today's Sentences
01
My car broke down again.
Situation
You’re late!
What happened?
Don’t even ask.
My car broke down again on the way here.
Seriously?
That’s like the third time this month.
I know.
At this point, I feel like this car is such a burden.
02
I broke down in laughter when I saw the photos.
Situation
So how was your high school reunion?
Hilarious!
I broke down when I saw the photos.
Really?
Was it that bad?
Let’s just say funny haircuts and questionable fashion choices.
But some of the best memories were from high school!
Writer's Note
"Break down" is an intransitive, transitive, separable and inseparable phrasal verb.
- Intransitive - Does not require a direct object to complete its meaning.
Example 1: The food broke down in the digestive system.
Example 2: Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down.
Example 3: She broke down in tears during the speech. - Transitive - Requires a direct object to receive the action.
Example 1: Let me break down the costs for you.
Example 2: Firefighters broke down the wall to reach the child.
Example 3: Can you break this process down step by step? - Separable - When an object can be placed between the particle "break" and the verb "down" can be separated.
Example 1: Let me break this problem down into smaller steps.
Example 2: They had to break the door down to rescue the dog.
Example 3: Can you break the data down by category? - Inseparable - When the particle and verb cannot be separated. The particle must stay directly next to the verb.
Example 1: She broke down in tears during the movie.
Example 2: My truck broke down on the way home.
Example 3: This plastic will break down over time.
Related Words: Analyze, collapse, crumble, decompose, disassemble, disintegrate, divide, explain, fail, malfunction, partition, separate, simplify, stop working, unravel
