BASKET CASE Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

basket case

noun

Definition of basket case

as in nervous breakdown

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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

Noun

After an idealistic youth and a subsequent nervous breakdown, our eldest Ramona, Ramona Jover, eventually finds strength in resignation to what a woman born in the 1800s can ever do or be.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Embodied by Maradona, successive Argentinean national teams played with flair and toughness and an element of chaos, often on the edge of nervous breakdown.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026

Definition of nervous breakdown

Noun

Ohtani threw about 20 pitches in a bullpen session Friday and wasn’t 100%, and that set off alarm bells with the Dodgers’ bosses.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Some Republicans have expressed alarm about the findings in the report, which was filed under seal and withheld from the public by the courts.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarm

Noun

The plan also included a breakdown of which areas are targeted for these elevations, which indicates the areas with properties at the highest risk of flooding.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Wildland firefighters can also face rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of skeletal muscle that can contribute to kidney injury.

— Julian L. Gallegos, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of breakdown

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basket

basket case

basket cases

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“Basket case.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/basket%20case. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of basket case

noun

Example Sentences

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