variants also kaputt
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as in doomed
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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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 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
Adjective
  • However, with the opening of the Alaska Railroad in 1923, followed by the replacement of horse traffic with automobiles, travelers were able to go faster and farther, rendering many of the roadhouses obsolete.
    Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Companies that fail to adapt risk becoming obsolete.
    Subha Barry, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Many old documents are written in an archaic hand the practice of which has fallen out of use.
    Daniel Foster, National Review, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The name is inspired by the UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeastern Sicily and features sculptural accents that echo archaic forms.
    Sofia Celeste, WWD, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The first came on an 11-play, 70-yard drive featuring a good mix of run and pass plays, including a huge fourth down conversion from Mahomes early in the drive.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025
  • This cloud-like comforter is stuffed with a down alternative filling and wrapped in a soft cotton cover that could be a game-changer on chilly winter nights.
    Clara McMahon, People.com, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The ships, built 30 years ago to sail the St. Lawrence Seaway, were first overhauled in 2019 under the Victory name by the now defunct American Queen Voyages.
    Jeri Clausing, AFAR Media, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Bush chose Moody a year later to serve on the Board of Regents, the defunct governing body for the state’s university system.
    Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Perhaps most notably, both sides deploy decoy vehicles—either inoperative derelicts or inflatable fakes—to draw enemy fire away from real vehicles.
    David Axe, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
  • In wartime, however, the calculus changes, because most of the costs are inoperative.
    William C. Wohlforth, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2021
Adjective
  • The sunk cost fallacy, for example, can lead companies to continue investing in maintaining a physical office space, despite the benefits of remote work.
    Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023
  • The sunk cost fallacy is a bias that behavioral economists say can cause a person to stick with a losing investment.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2022
Adjective
  • All told, those properties were issued roughly 50 violations, according to city records, for violations including overgrowth, junk and inoperable cars parked on the properties.
    Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
  • More than likely, TikTok would just become inoperable on your phone as more and more services drop support.
    Chloe Albanesius, PCMAG, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Through biological opinions, state and federal agencies govern these systems to direct water diversions and pumping restrictions to protect endangered species.
    Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Sales brought in at the zoo’s gift shops and dining facilities are funneled into its ongoing efforts to protect endangered species.
    Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2025

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Thesaurus Entries Near kaput

Cite this Entry

“Kaput.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kaput. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

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