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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kaput
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
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
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the technology that the Pentagon developed on its own often became obsolete before a weapon was even deployed.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
-
Just pay attention to apple list of vintage and obsolete devices, which includes the iPhones that can’t be updated at all.—
Kate O'Flaherty,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Many across the political spectrum, including USDA insiders, acknowledge that the Farm Service Agency systems are complex and archaic and that some of its systems are in need of reform.—
Jenna McLaughlin,
NPR,
10 July 2025
-
The grease, which then floated to the surface of the water, could be skimmed off the top and eaten — providing a calorie-dense food source for the archaic people.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Swing down bed rails are great when getting in and out of bed or changing sheets.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
-
With a down year in the rearview, Prescott and the Cowboys are looking forward to having a clean slate soon.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Note: The Austin Critics Table, a now defunct arts journalism group, had agreed in 2019 that actor, director, playwright and journalist Robert Faires, absent from the voting that year, deserved to be inducted into the subsequent Hall of Fame class.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
13 July 2025
-
Executives from the now defunct watch brand wondered if the failure of the commercial was also due in part to the watch’s bezel not being properly featured.—
Seth Reiss,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Also inoperative the morning of the crash were the runway alignment indicator lights, which had not worked for more than three years.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 June 2025
-
Several election ballot scanners are currently inoperative at multiple polling locations in Cambria County in Pennsylvania.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2024
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
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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
-
Additionally, two laboratory machines were inoperable for four days in February due to a lack of reagents, which are substances used to carry out tests, because the hospital had not paid the supplier.—
Scott Schwebke,
Oc Register,
12 July 2025
-
Though an initial damage analysis expressed skepticism, a consensus emerged that Iran’s enrichment and weaponization infrastructure, including centrifuges and uranium metalworking equipment, was destroyed or rendered inoperable.—
Nabih Bulos
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
In 2016, pygmy hippos were deemed an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
-
This endangered species was captured on camera traps set up to monitor animal movement through natural corridors.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kaput.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kaput. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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