kaput

adjective

kə-ˈpu̇t How to pronounce kaput (audio)
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

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2
as in obsolete
having passed its time of use or usefulness hard-line Soviet-style Communism became kaput in Russia

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in malfunctioning
not being in working order the heating system went kaput on the coldest day of the year

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 But with the continuing demand for sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks, executive cruisers and road trip comfort mobiles are largely kaput. — James Raia, Mercury News, 26 July 2026 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
  1. doomed
  2. obsolete
  3. malfunctioning
  4. ruined
  5. archaic
  6. down
  7. sunk
  8. antiquated
Adjective
  • Shortly after meeting with Evan and Caitlin Chambers, Jaybush tracked down the Taft Avenue developer, who agreed to sell one of the doomed Craftsman homes for a dollar.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
  • So the company began towing the Flight 13 Ship to shore — an endeavor that initially seemed doomed to failure.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of doomed
Adjective
  • The obsolete buildings are gone, Zurich fills up vacant space, and his village remains on the cutting edge.
    — Alex Nitkin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Golden Gate’s residents have grappled with issues around the complex’s living conditions for years, including mold, rodents and obsolete electrical systems, leading them to file suit in 2020.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of obsolete
Adjective
  • Homeowners reported a swift meeting at which officers discussed a reorganization of their specific duties and the hiring of an elevator expert to fix the chronically malfunctioning, overloaded elevators.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Watching the first episode of Ultimate Girl’s Trip is like riding in a malfunctioning time machine.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of malfunctioning
Adjective
  • Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of ruined
Adjective
  • Japan’s royal succession depends on a archaic and highly contested law, despite a wealth of women who would be eligible to rule under different circumstances.
    — Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And the rest is public perception, which has shifted against what many Americans see as a dirty, archaic form of power generation.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of archaic
Adjective
  • The bedspread gives you all of the fluffy loft without risking overheating, thanks to its breathable down-alternative fill and box-stitch design that keeps it evenly distributed.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Atwell is a hometown hero from his high school days as a quarterback for Miami Northwestern High, leading the storied football program back to a state championship as a senior after a down stretch of seasons.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of down
Adjective
  • The train is, of course, a classic example of the perennial perils of sunk costs; abandoning the line seems absurd (even to us) given how much money would be written off.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In my experience, mid-market companies operate with leaner teams and cannot absorb the sunk costs of a multi-month implementation with room for scope creep, reworks and failures.
    — Prathamesh Bhingarde, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of sunk
Adjective
  • Costco online cake ordering updates antiquated system The online cake ordering feature was first revealed to be on the way by Costco CEO Ron Vachris in the company's quarterly earnings call in December 2025.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Additionally, interviews and encounters with the slain officers’ family members also illustrate the cost and harm of a job that was formed in the early 19th century and remains antiquated and unchanged in our 21st-century world.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of antiquated

Browse Nearby Words

kaolins
kaput
karakul
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Cite this Entry

“Kaput.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kaput. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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