talks broke down

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "talks broke down" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It means that negotiations or discussions between two or more parties have come to an end, usually without reaching a resolution or agreement. Example: The talks between the union and the company broke down, leading to a strike by the workers.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"The talks broke down".

The New York Times - Sports

But those talks broke down last weekend.

The Economist

But talks broke down over the details.

The New York Times

The talks broke down in 2008.

The New York Times

Talks broke down after Ms Tymoshenko's prosecution.

The Economist

Talks broke down after about two months.

The New York Times

Talks broke down, and all sides walked away empty-handed.

Harvard University

When the talks broke down a deal was within sight.

The Economist

The talks broke down after weeks of intensive contacts.

Independent

But years of sporadic peace talks broke down in 2006.

The New Yorker

Normalization talks broke down in 1992 over the kidnapping issue.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "talks broke down" to indicate a clear end to negotiations, often implying a negative outcome.

Common error

Avoid using "talks broke down" when negotiations are merely paused or temporarily suspended. The phrase suggests a more definitive end.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "talks broke down" functions as a verb phrase indicating the cessation or failure of negotiations or discussions. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and commonly used. Examples from Ludwig show it used in contexts ranging from political negotiations to business deals.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Academia

8%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Wiki

1%

Science

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "talks broke down" is a common and grammatically sound way to express that negotiations or discussions have ended without a resolution. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's widely used across different contexts, especially in news and media, to report the failure of negotiations. When using this phrase, it's helpful to provide context by specifying the reasons for the breakdown or the resulting consequences. While versatile, it's crucial to reserve "talks broke down" for situations where the negotiations have genuinely ceased, rather than merely paused.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

negotiations collapsed

Emphasizes a sudden and complete failure of negotiations.

discussions failed

Highlights the lack of success in reaching an agreement through discussion.

negotiations reached an impasse

Focuses on the inability to move forward due to conflicting positions.

talks fell apart

Suggests a gradual disintegration of the negotiations process.

negotiations were unsuccessful

States a general lack of success in the negotiation process.

discussions terminated without agreement

Formally indicates the end of discussions and the absence of a consensus.

negotiations dissolved

Implies a more gradual and less confrontational end to negotiations.

talks ended in deadlock

Stresses the inability to resolve differences, leading to a standstill.

discussions reached a stalemate

Highlights a situation where neither side is willing to concede, resulting in inaction.

negotiating efforts ceased

Emphasizes the termination of active attempts to negotiate.

FAQs

What does "talks broke down" mean?

The phrase "talks broke down" means that negotiations or discussions between parties have ended, typically without an agreement or resolution.

What can I say instead of "talks broke down"?

You can use alternatives such as "negotiations collapsed", "discussions failed", or "negotiations reached an impasse" depending on the specific context.

Is "talks broke down" formal or informal?

The phrase "talks broke down" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, though it is frequently used in news and media reporting.

How to use "talks broke down" in a sentence?

You can use it as in, "The peace talks broke down after the government refused to meet the rebels' demands", or "Efforts to resolve the dispute failed because talks broke down".