buster

noun

bust·​er ˈbə-stər 

1

a

chiefly Midland US : someone or something extraordinary

a buster of a breakfast

—Harriet B. Stowe

b

: an unusually sturdy child

c

often capitalized : fellow

—usually used as a form of address

hey buster, come here

2

chiefly Australia : a sudden violent wind often coming from the south

3

: one that breaks, breaks up, or eliminates something

crime busters

: such as

a

: plow

b

[short for broncobuster] : a person who breaks horses

4

: a bad fall

Examples of buster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bunker busters, also known as GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, can travel 200 feet into the ground before exploding. —Morgan Kromer, The Washington Examiner, 2 July 2025

That may be frustrating for casual fans who tune in only during the NCAA Tournament to see bracket busters and no-name teams pull off upsets. —Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025

For those still doubting gold’s strength, the real bracket buster is happening in the markets, and gold is cutting down the nets. —Bob Haber, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

Top 5 … favorite men’s NCAA tournament first-round bracket busters 5. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing buster

• bunker buster
• clot-buster

Rhymes for buster

• bluster
• cluster
• duster
• juster
• luster
• lustre
• muster
• thruster
• trustor
• adjuster
• baluster
• blockbuster