meltdown

/ˌmɛltˈdaʊn/
/ˈmɛltdaʊn/
IPA guide

Other forms: meltdowns

Definitions of meltdown
  1. noun
    severe overheating of the core of a nuclear reactor resulting in the core melting and radiation escaping
    synonyms: nuclear meltdown
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    type of:
    overheating
    excessive heating
  2. noun
    a disaster comparable to a nuclear meltdown
    “there is little likelihood of a meltdown comparable to the American banking collapse in March 1933”
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    type of:
    calamity, cataclysm, catastrophe, disaster, tragedy
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
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