break down

to collapse physically or emotionally

• Tom broke down.
• Tom broke down and started to cry.
• She broke down when she heard the news.
• Tom broke down and told Mary the truth.
• Tom broke down and sobbed uncontrollably while giving the eulogy at his mother's funeral.
• Tom broke down and cried.
• Tom eventually broke down and confessed.
• He broke down when he heard the bad news.
• Upon hearing the news, she broke down crying.
• Toil and worry caused his health to break down.
• The poor girl broke down upon hearing the news.
• His health has broken down because of overwork.
• When she heard the news, she broke down crying.
• She broke down when she heard about the accident.
• After hearing the sad news, she broke down in tears.
• He broke down completely on hearing of his daughter's death.
• Tom could see that Mary was about to break down and cry.

to fail with a negotiation, plan, etc

• The plan has broken down.
• Their opposition broke down.
• Talks between the warring parties have broken down and security in the region is very uncertain.

to hit a door, wall, building, etc, in order to make it fall.

• Tom tried to break down the door.
• Tom tried to break the door down.
• Tom began trying to break down the door.
• The firemen broke down the door with an ax.
• I broke down the door because I lost the key.
• The police used a battering ram to break down the door.
• I tried to break down the door, but I found out that it is impossible.
• After knocking twice, the police had no choice but to break the door down.
• They broke down the house.
• They broke down the old house.
• They are breaking down the wall.
• The old building was broken down.
• They broke down part of the wall.

to remove a problem that prevents something from happening

• It took a long time to break down her reserve and get her to relax.
• We must work hard to break down social barriers.

to stop working properly

• The car broke down.
• The watch broke down.
• Tom's car broke down.
• The radio broke down.
• My TV has broken down.
• My car has broken down.
• The computer broke down.
• The bus has broken down.
• Communications broke down.
• Maybe Tom's car broke down.
• My car broke down on the way.
• Our car broke down last night.
• Her car broke down on the way.
• My radio has broken down again.
• This car is going to break down.
• My cellphone charger broke down.
• The engine has broken down again.
• My car broke down on the way here.
• If the car breaks down, we'll walk.
• Our car broke down on our way there.
• I was late because my car broke down.
• Her car broke down on the interstate.
• This old car breaks down all the time.
• "What happened?" "The car broke down."
• His car broke down on the way to work.
• The car's engine broke down on the way.
• This car is always breaking down lately.
• The car broke down, so they had to walk.
• Because of heavy rain my car broke down.
• Tom was afraid his car would break down.
• His car broke down in remote countryside.
• My car broke down, so I had to take a bus.
• He said, "My car is always breaking down."
• The car broke down, so that we had to walk.
• The car broke down on the way to the airport.
• I had to walk here because my car broke down.
• The car broke down five miles outside of town.
• Tom had to walk home since his car broke down.
• I had to walk there because my car broke down.
• Our car broke down in the middle of the street.
• Maria took the metro, since her car broke down.
• The car broke down after half an hour's driving.
• It was his car, not mine, that broke down yesterday.
• The ambulance broke down in the middle of the avenue.
• Tom's car broke down on his way to work this morning.
• I cannot drive Taninna to school. My car is broken down.
• A broken-down car was standing in the middle of the road.
• He had the kindness to lend me his car when mine broke down.
• Tom would've been here by now if his car hadn't broken down.
• Well, this is a wonderfully hot day for my car to break down.
• My car, which broke down yesterday, has not been repaired yet.
• If you weren't careless, your word processor wouldn't break down.
• My car broke down this morning and won't be repaired until Friday.
• I hope that my car doesn't break down, and that I arrive at yours on time.
• My plans for the weekend went pear shaped when my car broke down on Saturday morning.
• Tom regrets buying the car sight unseen, because it's broken down twice in two months.
• Unfortunately the expensive automobile that I purchased last week has broken down.
• My motorcycle broke down on the way.
• The washing machine has broken down.
• This machine sometimes breaks down.
• The bus broke down at one end of the bridge.
• The iron broke down due to over-heating.
• The motorcycle I borrowed from him broke down.
• The bus broke down on the way, so I ran to school.
• The motorcycle which I borrowed from him broke down.
• My rusty Ford broke down, obstructing the intersection.
• The ambulance broke down in the middle of the busy avenue.
• My television was broken down, so I had to get it repaired.
• As our taxi broke down on the way, we had to walk to the station.
• Mary's washing machine broke down a week after the warranty had run out.
• Tom's mower broke down when he was half way through mowing his lawn.
• Our 2CV broke down.