to stop working because of a fault
Example:
- The telephone system has broken down.
- We (= the car) broke down on the freeway.
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to fail
Example:
- Negotiations between the two sides have broken down.
- Their marriage had broken down irretrievably.
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to become very bad
Example:
- Her health broke down under the pressure of work.
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to lose control of your feelings and start crying
Example:
- He broke down and wept when he heard the news.
- She broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters.
to divide into parts to be analysed
Example:
- Expenditure on the project breaks down as follows: wages $10m, plant $4m, raw materials $5m.
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