FALL APART

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fall apart mean? 

• FALL APART (verb)
  The verb FALL APART has 4 senses:

1. lose one's emotional or mental composure
2. go to pieces
3. break or fall apart into fragments
4. become separated into pieces or fragments

  Familiarity information: FALL APART used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FALL APART (verb)

Meaning:

Lose one's emotional or mental composure

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

fall apart; go to pieces

Context example:

She fell apart when her only child died

Hypernyms (to "fall apart" is one way to...):

break down; lose it; snap (lose control of one's emotions)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Meaning:

Go to pieces

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

wear out; fall apart; bust; wear; break

Context examples:

The lawn mower finally broke / The gears wore out / The old chair finally fell apart completely

Hypernyms (to "fall apart" is one way to...):

crumble; decay; delapidate (fall into decay or ruin)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fall apart"):

fray; frazzle (wear away by rubbing)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Meaning:

Break or fall apart into fragments

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

crumble; fall apart

Context examples:

The cookies crumbled / The Sphinx is crumbling

Hypernyms (to "fall apart" is one way to...):

disintegrate (break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Meaning:

Become separated into pieces or fragments

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

come apart; break; fall apart; split up; separate

Context examples:

The figurine broke / The freshly baked loaf fell apart

Hypernyms (to "fall apart" is one way to...):

change integrity (change in physical make-up)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fall apart"):

break open; burst; split (break open or apart suddenly)

puncture (be pierced or punctured)

burst; bust (break open or apart suddenly and forcefully)

smash (break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow)

ladder; run (come unraveled or undone as if by snagging)

crack; snap (break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension)

break up; fragment; fragmentise; fragmentize (break or cause to break into pieces)

crush (become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s