break down — lose emotional control
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
If someone breaks down, they suddenly become very upset and cannot control their feelings, often crying.
Say it like a native
Textbook She became emotionally overwhelmed and wept.
Native She broke down in tears.
'Break down' is the natural verb for losing emotional control; the formal paraphrase is clinical and distant.
Pattern: Subject + break down
In use
- She broke down in tears when she heard the news.family
- When I failed the exam, I broke down because I had worked so hard for it.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He broke down to cry.
✓ He broke down crying. / He broke down in tears.
Use 'break down crying / in tears', not 'break down to cry'.
Common collocations
break down + emotion— in tears, crying, completely, emotionally
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'break up' (to end a relationship).
Related
- break down (stop working) — Another meaning of 'break down' is 'stop working'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.