melt down
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle down
Meanings
Heat metal or wax until it becomes liquid
Why “down”? A whole loses its structure and breaks into simpler parts.
“They melted down the gold rings.”
“The artist melted down old candles.”
Don't confuse with
Melt down means heat metal or wax until it becomes liquid. Melt away means disappear gradually, like melting ice.
Test yourself
“They melted down the gold rings.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
melt away
A contrast learners often mix up
Disappear gradually, like melting ice
break down
Same down pattern: breakdown
(of a vehicle or machine) stop working; Lose emotional control and start crying; Separate something into smaller parts to understand it; (of negotiations or relationships) fail or end; Force a door open by hitting it; Decompose into simpler chemical substances
strip down
Same down pattern: breakdown
Take a machine apart into its basic parts
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