as in nervous breakdown
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 basket case
Sri Lanka is an international basket case whose foreign reserves — which once stood at over $6 billion under the Rajapaksas — have dwindled to almost nothing.
—
New York Times, 29 May 2022
Naím was once, in a happier day, the finance minister of Venezuela, and Hugo Chávez, who took a troubled but essentially prosperous country with a long democratic tradition and turned it into an international basket case, comes in for close study.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
When China was an economic basket case, 100 miles of ocean was more than enough deterrent.
—Roger Wicker, WSJ, 4 May 2022
The village was literally a basket case, bereft of water, food and all hope.
—Steve West, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for basket case
New York Times, 29 May 2022
Naím was once, in a happier day, the finance minister of Venezuela, and Hugo Chávez, who took a troubled but essentially prosperous country with a long democratic tradition and turned it into an international basket case, comes in for close study.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
When China was an economic basket case, 100 miles of ocean was more than enough deterrent.
—Roger Wicker, WSJ, 4 May 2022
The village was literally a basket case, bereft of water, food and all hope.
—Steve West, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for basket case
Recent Examples of Synonyms for basket case
Noun
-
Schmitt suffers a nervous breakdown after his arrogance (and Webber’s long leash on the residency program) leads to him killing a podcaster on the operating table and these two break up again.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
-
But, of course, the producers didn't want Caroline to have a nervous breakdown.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But last week saw an observable upwelling of anxiety, reflecting a break of the preceding low-volatility climb and some possible pent-up selling from historically elevated equity allocations.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Oct. 2025
-
That anxiety is reflected in the polling.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But this epidemic impacting some of our most extraordinary Black male talents is an alarm; a reminder that our Black men, and Black people in general, no matter their status level, are at risk.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The car alarm blared once, twice, three times, then quit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The research says there’s no evidence that starting with slow breakdowns is advantageous.—
Joe Boylan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
While city data shows the murder rate is down 21% since 2024, the numbers appear to encompass statistics from each calendar year – with 2025’s full breakdown hinging on the completion of the year.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Basket case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basket%20case. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share