1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

basket case

noun

Definition of basket casenext
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 Though the microbus appeared unscathed, the vehicle in reality was a basket case and in need of more than 900 replacement parts, Volkswagen of America said in a statement on its restoration. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 24 Nov. 2025 America has become a fiscal basket case, and neither party is offering any kind of serious solution for a disaster that is already contributing to brutal inflation and may one day crush the value of the dollar. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for basket case
Recent Examples of Synonyms for basket case
  1. nervous breakdown
  2. anxiety
  3. alarm
  4. breakdown
Noun
  • Gloria Steinem attributed her mother's nervous breakdown before she was born, and her treatment in mental institutions and the workforce thereafter, as key to her interest in social injustices.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
  • In 1944 her parents divorced, and 10-year-old Gloria was left to take care of her mother, a once-promising journalist who struggled to combine her work with running a household and who eventually suffered a nervous breakdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous breakdown
Noun
  • Plus, the recent detention of several Haitian pastors by immigration authorities is fueling even more anxiety among congregants.
    — Lauren Costantino September 19, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Given the characters’ extreme situation, black humor also feels natural—a way of protecting themselves from anxiety and fear.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • Fears of a new mobilization would also trigger alarm across Europe, which has become increasingly worried about an escalating conflict with Russia.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2026
  • When Green Bay lost its 12-point lead en route to a blowout Sunday, the collapse revived alarm bells about the team’s ability to close out games.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of alarm
Noun
  • The human neurons suffered severe, selective damage, mimicking the cellular breakdown that causes cerebral palsy in human infants during difficult childbirths.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Things like sewer line backup, service line damage and equipment breakdown coverage all bulk up the price of your policy.
    — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of breakdown

Browse Nearby Words

basket
basket case
basket cases
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Basket case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basket%20case. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All