Commonly confused
Break down vs Break out
“Break down” and “Break out” look alike but pull in different directions. Here is the quick way to tell them apart — with examples, the mistake to avoid, and a check.
Which one do you mean?
Down means stop working or collapse; out means escape or suddenly start. A car breaks down; a fire or an argument breaks out.
Break down
Stop working, collapse emotionally, or analyse into parts.
Break out
Escape, or (of something bad) suddenly start.
break down
- 1
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working
- 2
Lose emotional control and start crying
- 3
Separate something into smaller parts to understand it
Correct use
“The car broke down on the motorway.”
The car stopped working on the motorway.
break out
- 1
(of war, fire or disease) Start suddenly
- 2
Escape from a locked or guarded place
Correct use
“A war broke out between the two countries.”
A war started suddenly between the two countries.
Common mistake
A fire broke down in the kitchen.
A fire broke out in the kitchen.
Something bad suddenly starting = break out.
Test yourself
“The car broke down on the motorway.” What does it mean?
More pairs to tell apart
Sink In — iOS & Android
Stop mixing them up
Sink In turns confusable pairs like this into quick contrast drills, so the right particle becomes automatic instead of a guess.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
