break down

1. verb Of a machine, to malfunction or break altogether. I'm afraid the blender is breaking down. It stopped working again today. She didn't come to the party because her car broke down on the way here.

2. verb To fail or cease. Negotiations have broken down again, and I'm starting to worry that we'll never reach an agreement for a new contract.

3. verb To destroy a physical structure. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." I'll break this door down if you don't come out here right now!

4. verb To dismantle a societal obstacle. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." We owe a lot to the pioneering activists of earlier eras, who battled prejudice and broke down barriers.

5. verb To lose control of one's emotions, especially sadness or grief. My mother seemed fine this morning, but she completely broke down at the funeral and cried through the whole thing.

6. verb To methodically explain something step by step. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." Can you break down the healthcare proposal to me? I'm not very well informed about it.

7. verb To reduce something to its component parts. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." If you break down water, it's just hydrogen and oxygen molecules. We need to break down the equipment and pack the truck as quickly as possible once the gig is over.

8. verb To get someone else to do what one wants, often by coercion. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is typically used between "break" and "down." I'll threaten him if I have to—anything to break him down and get that classified information from him. The prosecutor was able to break down the defendant until he confessed.

9. verb To give in to pressure; to acquiesce. If we keep asking mom and dad to get pizza, eventually they'll break down and order it.

10. noun A state of collapse that is typically induced by some form of stress. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Once I learned the extent of my injuries, I had a complete breakdown and didn't leave my room for weeks. The coup was followed by a complete societal breakdown. The breakdown of our supply line was caused by an excessive demand.

11. noun A methodical, step-by-step explanation of something. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Can you give me a breakdown of the healthcare proposal? I'm not very well informed about it.

12. noun An itemized list. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. We'd like to see a breakdown of the bill so we can see everything we've been charged for.

See also: break, down

break it down

1. To explain something in steps. I know it can be confusing, but once I break it down for you, I think you'll start to get it.

2. Stop! Quit it! Primarily heard in Australia. You guys are making too much noise—break it down!

See also: break, down

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

break someone down

to force someone to give up and tell secrets or agree to do something. After threats of torture, they broke the spy down. They broke down the agent by threatening violence.

See also: break, down

break something down

(into something)

1. to reduce a compound or its structure to its components. Heat will break this down into sodium and a few gases. Will heat break down this substance into anything useful? We broke it into little pieces.

2. to reduce a large numerical total to its subparts and explain each one. She broke the total down into its components. Please break down the total into its parts again. I'll break the total down for you.

3. to discuss the details of something by examining its subparts. (See also break something down (for someone).) Let's break this problem down into its parts and deal with each one separately. Breaking down complex problems into their components is almost fun. Let's break this issue down and discuss it.

See also: break, down

break something down

1. Lit. to tear something down; to destroy something. They used an ax to break the door down. We broke down the wall with big hammers.

2. Fig. to destroy a social or legal barrier. The court broke a number of legal barriers down this week. They had to break down many social prejudices to manage to succeed.

See also: break, down

break something down

(for someone) Fig. to explain something to someone in simple terms or in an orderly fashion. (Alludes to breaking a complex problem into smaller segments which can be explained more easily. See also break something down (into something).) She doesn't understand. You will have to break it down for her. I can help. This is a confusing question. Let me break down the problem for you.

See also: break, down

break down (and cry)

to surrender to demands or emotions and cry. Max finally broke down and confessed. I was afraid I would break down and cry from the sadness I felt.

See also: break, down

(nervous) breakdown

Fig. a physical and mental collapse brought on by great anxiety over a period of time. After month after month of stress and strain, Sally had a nervous breakdown.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

break down

1. Demolish, destroy, either physically or figuratively, as in The carpenters broke down the partition between the bedrooms, or The governor's speeches broke down the teachers' opposition to school reform. [Late 1300s]

2. Separate into constituent parts, analyze. For example, I insisted that they break down the bill into the separate charges for parts and labor, or The chemist was trying to break down the compound's molecules. [Mid-1800s]

3. Stop functioning, cease to be effective or operable, as in The old dishwasher finally broke down. [Mid-1800s]

4. Become distressed or upset; also, have a physical or mental collapse, as in The funeral was too much for her and she broke down in tears, or After seeing all his work come to nothing, he broke down and had to be treated by a psychiatrist . [Late 1800s]

See also: break, down

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

break down

1. To cause something to collapse, especially by hitting it: The firefighters broke down the door of the burning house. The bulldozer pushed at the old wall and broke it down.

2. To collapse, especially as a result of force or pressure; give way: The door finally broke down after I kept hitting it with a club.

3. To cause someone to stop resisting, especially by force or pressure: The police will break you down and make you talk.

4. To stop resisting; accede: My friends kept pleading with me to go to the beach, so I finally broke down and went along with them.

5. To destroy or remove something, especially something viewed as a problem: This political party hopes to break down the barriers between social classes. Let's identify the obstacles and break them down.

6. To stop functioning: The elevator broke down, so please use the stairs.

7. To be a passenger in a vehicle that stops functioning: We're late because we broke down just outside the city.

8. To fail despite effort; come to a stop: The negotiations between the warring nations broke down, and the fighting continued.

9. To suffer an emotional or mental collapse: The stress of my new job was so high that I eventually broke down and couldn't go to work for days.

10. To separate something into parts; take something apart: When the carnival was over, we broke down all the tents. The workers broke down the equipment and put it into storage.

11. To examine or explain something by looking at its parts; analyze something: Break down your story into its main themes and write each part separately. This problem looks very difficult, but if we break it down, it becomes easy to solve.

12. To be divisible into smaller parts: The population of the city breaks down into three main groups: the poor, the rich, and the middle class.

See also: break, down

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

See also:

barf
barfola
answer to
going to
explain (oneself)
explain oneself
explain yourself
cross over
face off
face-off

References in periodicals archive

Real Estate: Break down all costs associated with managing the real estate portfolio (transaction management, lease administration, architectural services, space management, strategic planning, etc.) into separate cost categories by service (see box above for examples).

Considering facilities outsourcing? establish a baseline first. (Real Estate)

They can either help the body break down the contaminant, or they can take the contaminant from an inert to a DNA-damaging form.

The genetics behind drug breakdown. (Pharmaceuticals)

But despite the artist's evident sincerity, one could be forgiven for wondering whether Break Down's rationale might not serve to naturalize rather than criticize dominant ideas about consumption.

MICHAEL LANDY

It is very important to break down to block, as the DB will run right by the receiver if the receiver is not in a good athletic position.

The wide receiver: more than a pass catcher

For the strange particles to break down by the strong interaction, the strangeness number would have to remain unchanged, and since all the particles they might break down into had 0 strangeness, they couldn't break down in that way.

Strange particles

However, in some cases reliability can be costly if the car does break down, whilst a Skoda has an average garage repair bill of just pounds 215 in comparison to more than pounds 790 for a Porsche - the most expensive.

Reliability survey highlights the cost

He adds: "Although it may seem unlikely that you will break down, you need to be prepared.

Simple rules to stay safe

The plant separates the sewage into liquid and solid streams, and microbes break down much of the organic content of those flows.

Tainted by cleanser: antimicrobial agent persists in sludge

When tiny organisms such as yeast break down sugars to obtain energy, they produce ethanol.

Microbes at the gas pump

To figure out where in the newer treatment process estrogens break down, Ternes and his colleagues in Denmark and Switzerland studied sludge removed from 10 different points along the flow of sewage in the Wiesbaden plant.

Modern treatment plants strip hormone from sewage. (Extracting Estrogens)

The researchers plan to test their screening technique to find microbes that break down carcinogenic chemicals at coal tar waste sites.

Toxic cleanups get aboost

The microbes discharge enzymes, digestive proteins that help break down food into chemicals such as nitrates, phosphorus, and potassium --nutrients essential to plant life.

FROM GARBAGE TO GARDEN

Process b: Colon-dwelling microbes possess the enzymes to break down food you can't digest.

What a gas!: Michael Jordan does it. So does Britney Spears. Everyone passes gas--on average 14 times a day! While the phenomenon (called flatulence) is often the butt of jokes, "farting" is as natural as taking a breath. (Teen health issue: digestive system * microbes)

The horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepiscomosa), a European relative of beans, is the first plant discovered to break down nitrogen-containing compounds in its tissues into a readily usable nitrate form, report Charles Hipkin of the University of Wales in Swansea and his colleagues.

Rewriting the nitrogen story: plant cycles nutrient forward and backward

词组	break down
释义	break down break down 1. verb Of a machine, to malfunction or break altogether. I'm afraid the blender is breaking down. It stopped working again today. She didn't come to the party because her car broke down on the way here. 2. verb To fail or cease. Negotiations have broken down again, and I'm starting to worry that we'll never reach an agreement for a new contract. 3. verb To destroy a physical structure. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." I'll break this door down if you don't come out here right now! 4. verb To dismantle a societal obstacle. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." We owe a lot to the pioneering activists of earlier eras, who battled prejudice and broke down barriers. 5. verb To lose control of one's emotions, especially sadness or grief. My mother seemed fine this morning, but she completely broke down at the funeral and cried through the whole thing. 6. verb To methodically explain something step by step. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." Can you break down the healthcare proposal to me? I'm not very well informed about it. 7. verb To reduce something to its component parts. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "break" and "down." If you break down water, it's just hydrogen and oxygen molecules. We need to break down the equipment and pack the truck as quickly as possible once the gig is over. 8. verb To get someone else to do what one wants, often by coercion. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is typically used between "break" and "down." I'll threaten him if I have to—anything to break him down and get that classified information from him. The prosecutor was able to break down the defendant until he confessed. 9. verb To give in to pressure; to acquiesce. If we keep asking mom and dad to get pizza, eventually they'll break down and order it. 10. noun A state of collapse that is typically induced by some form of stress. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Once I learned the extent of my injuries, I had a complete breakdown and didn't leave my room for weeks. The coup was followed by a complete societal breakdown. The breakdown of our supply line was caused by an excessive demand. 11. noun A methodical, step-by-step explanation of something. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. Can you give me a breakdown of the healthcare proposal? I'm not very well informed about it. 12. noun An itemized list. In this usage, the phrase is typically written as one word. We'd like to see a breakdown of the bill so we can see everything we've been charged for. See also: break, down break it down 1. To explain something in steps. I know it can be confusing, but once I break it down for you, I think you'll start to get it. 2. Stop! Quit it! Primarily heard in Australia. You guys are making too much noise—break it down! See also: break, down Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. break someone down to force someone to give up and tell secrets or agree to do something. After threats of torture, they broke the spy down. They broke down the agent by threatening violence. See also: break, down break something down (into something) 1. to reduce a compound or its structure to its components. Heat will break this down into sodium and a few gases. Will heat break down this substance into anything useful? We broke it into little pieces. 2. to reduce a large numerical total to its subparts and explain each one. She broke the total down into its components. Please break down the total into its parts again. I'll break the total down for you. 3. to discuss the details of something by examining its subparts. (See also break something down (for someone).) Let's break this problem down into its parts and deal with each one separately. Breaking down complex problems into their components is almost fun. Let's break this issue down and discuss it. See also: break, down break something down 1. Lit. to tear something down; to destroy something. They used an ax to break the door down. We broke down the wall with big hammers. 2. Fig. to destroy a social or legal barrier. The court broke a number of legal barriers down this week. They had to break down many social prejudices to manage to succeed. See also: break, down break something down (for someone) Fig. to explain something to someone in simple terms or in an orderly fashion. (Alludes to breaking a complex problem into smaller segments which can be explained more easily. See also break something down (into something).) She doesn't understand. You will have to break it down for her. I can help. This is a confusing question. Let me break down the problem for you. See also: break, down break down (and cry) to surrender to demands or emotions and cry. Max finally broke down and confessed. I was afraid I would break down and cry from the sadness I felt. See also: break, down (nervous) breakdown Fig. a physical and mental collapse brought on by great anxiety over a period of time. After month after month of stress and strain, Sally had a nervous breakdown. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. break down 1. Demolish, destroy, either physically or figuratively, as in The carpenters broke down the partition between the bedrooms, or The governor's speeches broke down the teachers' opposition to school reform. [Late 1300s] 2. Separate into constituent parts, analyze. For example, I insisted that they break down the bill into the separate charges for parts and labor, or The chemist was trying to break down the compound's molecules. [Mid-1800s] 3. Stop functioning, cease to be effective or operable, as in The old dishwasher finally broke down. [Mid-1800s] 4. Become distressed or upset; also, have a physical or mental collapse, as in The funeral was too much for her and she broke down in tears, or After seeing all his work come to nothing, he broke down and had to be treated by a psychiatrist . [Late 1800s] See also: break, down The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. break down v. 1. To cause something to collapse, especially by hitting it: The firefighters broke down the door of the burning house. The bulldozer pushed at the old wall and broke it down. 2. To collapse, especially as a result of force or pressure; give way: The door finally broke down after I kept hitting it with a club. 3. To cause someone to stop resisting, especially by force or pressure: The police will break you down and make you talk. 4. To stop resisting; accede: My friends kept pleading with me to go to the beach, so I finally broke down and went along with them. 5. To destroy or remove something, especially something viewed as a problem: This political party hopes to break down the barriers between social classes. Let's identify the obstacles and break them down. 6. To stop functioning: The elevator broke down, so please use the stairs. 7. To be a passenger in a vehicle that stops functioning: We're late because we broke down just outside the city. 8. To fail despite effort; come to a stop: The negotiations between the warring nations broke down, and the fighting continued. 9. To suffer an emotional or mental collapse: The stress of my new job was so high that I eventually broke down and couldn't go to work for days. 10. To separate something into parts; take something apart: When the carnival was over, we broke down all the tents. The workers broke down the equipment and put it into storage. 11. To examine or explain something by looking at its parts; analyze something: Break down your story into its main themes and write each part separately. This problem looks very difficult, but if we break it down, it becomes easy to solve. 12. To be divisible into smaller parts: The population of the city breaks down into three main groups: the poor, the rich, and the middle class. See also: break, down The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. See also: barf barfola answer to going to explain (oneself) explain oneself explain yourself cross over face off face-off References in periodicals archive Real Estate: Break down all costs associated with managing the real estate portfolio (transaction management, lease administration, architectural services, space management, strategic planning, etc.) into separate cost categories by service (see box above for examples). Considering facilities outsourcing? establish a baseline first. (Real Estate) They can either help the body break down the contaminant, or they can take the contaminant from an inert to a DNA-damaging form. The genetics behind drug breakdown. (Pharmaceuticals) But despite the artist's evident sincerity, one could be forgiven for wondering whether Break Down's rationale might not serve to naturalize rather than criticize dominant ideas about consumption. MICHAEL LANDY It is very important to break down to block, as the DB will run right by the receiver if the receiver is not in a good athletic position. The wide receiver: more than a pass catcher For the strange particles to break down by the strong interaction, the strangeness number would have to remain unchanged, and since all the particles they might break down into had 0 strangeness, they couldn't break down in that way. Strange particles However, in some cases reliability can be costly if the car does break down, whilst a Skoda has an average garage repair bill of just pounds 215 in comparison to more than pounds 790 for a Porsche - the most expensive. Reliability survey highlights the cost He adds: "Although it may seem unlikely that you will break down, you need to be prepared. Simple rules to stay safe The plant separates the sewage into liquid and solid streams, and microbes break down much of the organic content of those flows. Tainted by cleanser: antimicrobial agent persists in sludge When tiny organisms such as yeast break down sugars to obtain energy, they produce ethanol. Microbes at the gas pump To figure out where in the newer treatment process estrogens break down, Ternes and his colleagues in Denmark and Switzerland studied sludge removed from 10 different points along the flow of sewage in the Wiesbaden plant. Modern treatment plants strip hormone from sewage. (Extracting Estrogens) The researchers plan to test their screening technique to find microbes that break down carcinogenic chemicals at coal tar waste sites. Toxic cleanups get aboost The microbes discharge enzymes, digestive proteins that help break down food into chemicals such as nitrates, phosphorus, and potassium --nutrients essential to plant life. FROM GARBAGE TO GARDEN Process b: Colon-dwelling microbes possess the enzymes to break down food you can't digest. What a gas!: Michael Jordan does it. So does Britney Spears. Everyone passes gas--on average 14 times a day! While the phenomenon (called flatulence) is often the butt of jokes, "farting" is as natural as taking a breath. (Teen health issue: digestive system * microbes) The horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepiscomosa), a European relative of beans, is the first plant discovered to break down nitrogen-containing compounds in its tissues into a readily usable nitrate form, report Charles Hipkin of the University of Wales in Swansea and his colleagues. Rewriting the nitrogen story: plant cycles nutrient forward and backward
随便看	relay (something) to (one) relay to release release from release (someone or something) from (something) release (someone or something) to (one) release to relegate relegate (someone or something) to (something) relegate to reliance reliance on reliance on (someone or something) relief relieve relieve of relieve one of duties relieve (oneself) relieve oneself relieve (one's) feelings ring the bell ring the changes ring the changes, to ring the curtain down ring the curtain down (on something)