meltdown

1 of 2

noun

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)

melt down

2 of 2

verb

melted down; melting down; melts down

intransitive verb

: to suffer a meltdown : collapse

Synonyms

Verb

• break down
• break up
• crack
• flip (out) [slang]
• freak (out)
• wig (out) [slang]

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

Noun

But Talia, whose room, like Jackson’s, is festooned with Wildlife Treasury cards, had meltdowns in preschool, then seizures, and was eventually diagnosed as having autism. —Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024

Under the gentle parenting model, a meltdown in the grocery store, for example, would call for more attention to a child’s feelings. —Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2024

Verb

Find it on Amazon This Cleansing Balm Melts Away the Day This balm slowly melts down makeup and works to remove all dirt and impurities while offering a burst of hydration. —Kat Romero, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024

The reactor that Constellation plans to reopen, Unit 1, is not the one the partially melted down in 1979. —Spencer Kimball,gabriel Cortés, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1956, in the meaning defined above

Kids 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)