variants also kaputt
Definition of kaputnext
1
as in done
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death once the Germans were forced to retreat from Stalingrad, the Nazi cause was kaput

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kaput Her campaign was supposedly kaput. Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026 Gunn tells Deadline, that The Authority is not kaput. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 27 Sep. 2025 Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton, seems adamant that the OG Yellowstone is kaput. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2024 Now all three of those competitors are kaput, felled by runs on deposits during the biggest banking crisis in a decade and a half. Rob Copeland, New York Times, 14 June 2023 The Stooges are now functionally kaput—of the original lineup, only Pop is left. Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2019 At least not on Sunday afternoon, nearly a full two days after the Clippers were supposed to be done, finished, as kaput as the Kings – those in Sacramento and Los Angeles. Jeff Miller, Orange County Register, 29 Apr. 2017 The damages for that less-than-brilliant marketing idea could be as much as $120 million, meaning the company as a whole is pretty much financially kaput. Susan Arendt, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2007
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kaput
Adjective
  • Owner Jason Boso fixed that, infusing $2 million into the 10-year-old bar on better bathrooms, a covered section of the patio and a re-done kitchen.
    Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 3 Apr. 2023
Adjective
  • Conversely, Hickey brushed off the recent software stock rout that's been driven by investor fear that AI will suddenly make many software providers obsolete.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
  • So the question of which ride is superior may soon be obsolete as more robotaxis take to the streets and more Austinites get a glimpse of a world without human drivers.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • There's also the scenario where the user experience just isn't great, whether that's subpar customer service or a malfunctioning app.
    Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Over 1,000 sanitation workers went on strike after two workers were crushed by a malfunctioning garbage truck — a tragic incident in a history of city neglect of Black workers.
    Madeline King, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The biggest part of this episode, for Bree, is the doomed night at the photo exhibit with her mom.
    Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
  • By cutting so much of Brontë’s sprawling novel down to the quick, by focusing so squarely on just Cathy and Heathcliff, we’re trapped only in the immediacy of their doomed affection, which is never allowed to be hot enough to make the entire effort come together, let alone come undone.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Amid the nods to social media and cancel culture and the shallow perils of modern celebrity, the image of Taylor-Joy’s disciplined group of insurgents, who speak in almost archaic, poetic dialogue, strikes a bracing contrast.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Yet university leaders have spoken optimistically about the future, bolstered by its new membership in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), its coaching staff and a $25 million renovation of its archaic football stadium.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The Kansas City Chiefs had a down season in 2025, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
    Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Most groups of particles will have a random mix of up and down spins, but the researchers found that a particular kind of particle that has been produced at the collider has often come in pairs with matching spin directions.
    Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • His choices allow the viewer to drink in the intimate details of the ruined world.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Wilson said the immediacy of her script connects with how Hedda isn’t simply an antiquated character from the past but someone women today can identify with.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
  • The theatrical window is not an antiquated tradition.
    Joseph M. Singer, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Kaput.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kaput. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!