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
His main accomplishment was to transform the country by giving us Joe Biden who then transformed the country into a basket case.
—
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Over the course of their day together, Claire the princess (Ringwald), Andrew the jock (Estevez), Brian the brain (Hall), Allison the basket case (Sheedy) and John the criminal (Nelson) begin to drop their stereotypical public facades and reveal their private struggles.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
The Breakfast Club stars Molly Ringwald (Claire, the princess), Emilio Estevez (Andrew, the athlete), Judd Nelson (John, the criminal), Ally Sheedy (Allison, the basket case), and Anthony Michael Hall (Brian, the brain).
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
Communist China was a basket case under one-man rule.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for basket case
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Over the course of their day together, Claire the princess (Ringwald), Andrew the jock (Estevez), Brian the brain (Hall), Allison the basket case (Sheedy) and John the criminal (Nelson) begin to drop their stereotypical public facades and reveal their private struggles.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
The Breakfast Club stars Molly Ringwald (Claire, the princess), Emilio Estevez (Andrew, the athlete), Judd Nelson (John, the criminal), Ally Sheedy (Allison, the basket case), and Anthony Michael Hall (Brian, the brain).
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
Communist China was a basket case under one-man rule.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 21 June 2022
See All Example Sentences for basket case
Recent Examples of Synonyms for basket case
Noun
-
When their news anchor (Peter Finch) has a nervous breakdown on the air, suddenly their ratings turn around, bringing on a moral morass only some of them are prepared to face.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Mostly because Kiesling’s voice is delightful, and this chronicle of Daphne—a young mother-intellectual on the verge of a nervous breakdown—is open-hearted and unsparing about the work that goes into balancing infant care with day job.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mergen said recruitment to the DOJ had become harder over his decades there, as government shutdowns created anxiety about working at the department, and as nonprofits became more competitive in their salaries.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Where academic pressures run high, so does the money and the parental anxiety.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, local officials have raised alarms on foreign investors, including Russian elites tied to President Vladimir Putin, building luxury high-rise apartments in Manhattan but not living there.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
-
One expert is sounding the alarm on the ultimate cost of the Iran war.—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hiccups could entail something as big as a train breakdown or as small as a platform door not opening.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The show stops at peak Elvis, before the infamous Vegas years and the further breakdown of one of one of the most famous Americans ever to live.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Basket case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basket%20case. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
