ENGLISH
REFERENCE

break down

idiom
Meaning

To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender.


Examples
SIMPLE

She refused to break down and admit she was wrong.

CONTEXTUAL

After hours of negotiation, the company finally broke down and agreed to raise workers' pay.

COMPLEX

Surrounded by evidence he could not refute, the proud politician at last broke down and confessed to the scandal he had denied for months.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    big break

    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

  2. 02

    break a leg

    Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

  3. 03

    break a sweat

    To put effort into something.

  4. 04

    break cover

    To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.

  5. 05

    break even

    To neither gain nor lose money.

  6. 06

    break gates

    To enter an Oxford or Cambridge college enclosure after the hour to which a student has been restricted.

  7. 07

    break in

    To reach a state of functioning more smoothly through use or wear; to cause (something, or someone, new) to undergo this change.

  8. 08

    break into

    To enter illegally or by force, especially in order to commit a crime.

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