variants
also kaputt
1
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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
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
-
Over time, the concern is that the cafe’s role as the heart of Parisian society will become obsolete, Mr. Fontaine said, as the younger generation turns to the coffee shop.—
Vivian Song,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The skull fragments, teeth, jaws and other remains unearthed at different sites across the country are clearly remnants of archaic hominins — the formal name for species in the human lineage — who lived between 300,000 and 100,000 years ago.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN,
24 Jan. 2025
-
In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
17 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
-
At the horn, Andrew Wiggins drained a step-back 3 over James to enter the fourth down six.—
Danny Emerman,
The Mercury News,
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
-
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Digital Currency Group, the crypto firm founded by Barry Silbert, and the former executive of a defunct unit are paying the SEC $38.5 million for misleading investors.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
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
-
The study at six hospitals across Japan is designed to give hope to patients, their families and healthcare professionals, and will follow the survival outcomes of 90 patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer, with 30 undergoing chemotherapy alone and 60 undergoing chemotherapy and HIFU therapy.—
Forbes,
Forbes,
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
Articles Related to kaput
Thesaurus Entries Near kaput
Cite this Entry
“Kaput.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kaput. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share