English

break down

breɪk daʊn
Meaning: to stop working; to divide into parts; to lose emotional control
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

Form Inflected form
Base break down
3rd person singular present breaks down
Present participle breaking down
Past broke down
Will future will break down
Going-to future going to break down
Imperative negative don't break down / do not break down

Example sentences

The car broke down on the way to the airport.
The car broke down on the way to the airport.
The project was broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks.
The project was broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks.
My hooptie broke down yesterday.
My hooptie broke down yesterday.

Usage Notes

Commonly used for vehicles or machines failing. It can also refer to analyzing data by category or someone starting to cry.

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