also: ぶちくだく
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Physical breaking into pieces with force; can be literal or figurative (e.g., smashing hopes).
彼はハンマーで岩を打ち砕いた。
He smashed the rock with a hammer.
その知らせは彼の
The news shattered his hopes.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
simplify; break down; make easy to understand
Used figuratively, often in the form 打ち砕いて, to mean explaining something in simple terms or breaking a complex idea into digestible parts.
難しい理論を打ち砕いて説明してくれた。
He explained the difficult theory in simple terms.