Break down: meaning, definitions and examples

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break down

 

[ ˈbreɪk daʊn ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

in construction

To dismantle or demolish a structure into smaller parts or components.

Synonyms

demolish, disassemble, dismantle

Examples of usage

  • The workers were hired to break down the old building and clear the site for the new construction.
  • The team had to break down the scaffolding after completing the project.
Context #2 | Verb

in analysis

To separate something into smaller parts to understand or analyze it.

Synonyms

analyze, decompose, dissect

Examples of usage

  • The professor asked the students to break down the complex theory into simpler concepts.
  • We need to break down the data to identify any patterns or trends.

Translations

Translations of the word "break down" in other languages:

🇵🇹 quebrar

🇮🇳 टूटना

🇩🇪 zerbrechen

🇮🇩 pecah

🇺🇦 ламати

🇵🇱 złamać

🇯🇵 壊れる (kowareru)

🇫🇷 casser

🇪🇸 romper

🇹🇷 kırmak

🇰🇷 깨다 (kkaeda)

🇸🇦 كسر (kasr)

🇨🇿 rozbít

🇸🇰 zlomiť

🇨🇳 打破 (dǎpò)

🇸🇮 zlomiti

🇮🇸 brjóta

🇰🇿 сындыру

🇬🇪 გატეხვა (gatekhva)

🇦🇿 qırmaq

🇲🇽 romper

Etymology

The term 'break down' originated in the 17th century, derived from the combination of 'break' and 'down', which individually mean 'to separate into parts' and 'toward a lower position or level' respectively. Over time, the expression has evolved to encompass various meanings related to dismantling, analyzing, or decomposing things into smaller units for different purposes.