break down — collapse negotiations
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
If talks, negotiations, or discussions break down, they fail completely and cannot continue, often due to disagreement.
Say it like a native
Textbook The negotiations collapsed completely and could not continue.
Native The talks broke down.
'Break down' is the standard verb for talks collapsing; the paraphrase is wordy.
Pattern: break down (of talks/negotiations/discussions)
In use
- Talks between the two companies broke down after neither side was willing to compromise.business
- If discussions between management and staff representatives break down, it can lead to industrial action and a loss of trust.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Negotiations were broken down last night.
✓ Negotiations broke down last night.
Here 'break down' is intransitive — talks break down; they don't 'get broken down'.
Common collocations
talks/negotiations break down— talks, negotiations, the marriage, completely
Don't confuse it
This sense is figurative and refers to the failure of abstract processes like negotiations, not to machines stopping (B1) or people losing emotional control (B2).
Related
- break down (stop working) — 'break down' also has the more basic meaning 'stop working'; this is the advanced sense.