What does breakdown mean?
Word: Breakdown
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Breakdown means the moment a machine or vehicle stops working; a sudden collapse of someone's health or of talks between people; or a list showing how a total is made up.
Synonyms: collapse, analysis
Antonyms: repair, success
How do you spell breakdown?
Syllables: break - down
Tricky part: Break is spelt with ea, as in steak, not like brake on a bicycle.
Watch out for: brakedown, breakedown, brekdown
Memory tip: Break is the ea word you also see in steak and great; brake, with an a, is the one on a bicycle.
Breakdown in a sentence
Example 1: The lift had a breakdown, so we climbed eight floors.
Example 2: Our teacher gave us a breakdown of marks for each question.
Example 3: A breakdown in talks meant the strike went on.
Fun Fact
Many motorways have emergency phones along the roadside, so that drivers can call for help after a breakdown or an accident.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the correctly spelt compound word:
a) waterfal
b) breakdown
c) fingernale
d) toothpast
Show answer
b) breakdown. Toothpaste needs its final e, fingernail has ai, and waterfall needs ll.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word: breakdown
a) upgrade
b) failure
c) service
d) start
Show answer
b) failure. A machine breakdown is a failure; a service or an upgrade keeps it working.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
breakd_w_
a) o, n
b) o, m
c) u, n
d) a, n
Show answer
a) o, n. Down is spelt d-o-w-n, as in town.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) puncture
b) breakdown
c) engine
d) spaner
Show answer
d) spaner. Spanner has a double n.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The shop sent a breakdown of the bill. What would it show?
a) how many staff work there
b) how much each item cost
c) how far the shop is from home
d) how long the shop had been open
Show answer
b) how much each item cost
2. If your car has a breakdown on the highway, who would you most likely call?
a) a toll booth clerk
b) a roadside mechanic
c) a petrol station attendant
d) a traffic constable
Show answer
b) a roadside mechanic
