melt·down
ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n 
1
: the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor
2
: a rapid or disastrous decline or collapse
3
: a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation)
Synonyms
Examples of meltdown in a Sentence
Noun
fears that an accident could cause meltdown
a company experiencing financial meltdown
After a long day at the beach, our toddler had a major meltdown in the car on the way home.
Verb
rather than melt down, the team strengthened their resolve and ended up winning the game
Recent Examples on the Web
Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2024
Despite a reputation fostered by the Three Mile Island meltdown and other accidents, nuclear energy as a whole is responsible for many fewer deaths than most other forms of power generation, especially when the environmental impacts of air pollution are taken into account.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2024
Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2024
As the rapper coined the slogan Hotties for Harris at the Atlanta event, conservatives got fired up to the point of melting down.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for meltdown 
Noun
In 1979, a mechanical failure caused the partial meltdown of the facility's Unit 2 reactor, which has remained closed ever since.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2024
Despite a reputation fostered by the Three Mile Island meltdown and other accidents, nuclear energy as a whole is responsible for many fewer deaths than most other forms of power generation, especially when the environmental impacts of air pollution are taken into account.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2024
Verb
In 1986, the same year that Reactor No. 4 melted down at Chernobyl, dramatically underscoring the failure of Soviet nuclear technology and environmental protection, the American space program suffered the Challenger catastrophe, sowing doubt about the efficacy of NASA.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2024
As the rapper coined the slogan Hotties for Harris at the Atlanta event, conservatives got fired up to the point of melting down.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for meltdown
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meltdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Meltdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meltdown. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
meltdown
noun
melt·down
ˈmelt-ˌdau̇n
1
: the accidental melting of the core of a nuclear reactor
2
: a rapid or disastrous decline or collapse
a financial meltdown
3
: a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation)
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