as in nervous breakdown
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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
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
Noun
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Decades later, some of the biggest criticisms of Communion are arguably among its most charming virtues, from Walken's idiosyncratic performance as a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown to the cheesy special effects.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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This happened years before, in such a serious way that my friend had to take a three-month medical leave of absence due to what was likely a nervous breakdown.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For young children, anxiety might show up as physical complaints like tummy aches or headaches, while older kids may feel nervous and struggle to concentrate.—
Kimberly Zapata,
Parents,
14 June 2026
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Tasks can include smelling dangerously high or low glucose levels, smelling mood swings, anxiety and depression, smelling an impending seizure and many other tasks.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
14 June 2026
Noun
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The threat raised widespread alarm among America’s Gulf allies.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
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The predictable—and dramatic—decline in student preparedness for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) majors now has hundreds of UC professors sounding the alarm.—
Adam B. Summers,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
Noun
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The real issue is the breakdown of the relationship and your feelings about that deserve to be heard clearly.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
11 June 2026
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Here’s a breakdown of who could be the next mayor — and who won’t even be considered.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Basket case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basket%20case. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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