basket-case

While the country's basket-case economy has been a concern for some time, the latter could not have been foreseen.

From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2015

After years as a basket-case, pilloried as “Government Motors”, GM is back in profit, stepping up its output and creating jobs again.

From Economist ● Jan. 17, 2013

Today, after little more than a year of democratic reform, the dominant description of Burma has changed in many circles from basket-case pariah to promising frontier economy.

From Newsweek ● Sep. 17, 2012

Scandinavia specialises in basket-case teams: the champions have been relegated four times in both Norway and Sweden, and three times in Denmark and Finland.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 21, 2011

The rapidly crumbling situation was deeply humiliating to the Syrians, who eagerly entered the Lebanese imbroglio last summer and broadly advertised their aim of imposing a salutary Pax Syriana on the Arab world's basket-case country.

From Time Magazine Archive

"A lot of other people, you know, you read stories where they become basket cases. To be honest, I'm not a basket case."

From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026

But Welch’s legacy took a hit following his retirement as GE went from America’s most-valuable company to a basket case, eventually splitting in three under an outsider’s management.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

The supporters didn't want him to leave at the end of his second season in July this year, but thought he was better off out of the basket case.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025

When Fujimori took office in 1990, Peru was Latin America’s basket case.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2024

“We’ve got over forty-five minutes, darling. Hold your horses. You’re going to turn me into a basket case if you don’t relax. Let’s go pray at the shrine.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy