bust up

1 of 2

verb

busted up also bust up; busting up; busts up

informal

1

: to end a relationship with someone

Their marriage busted up after three years.

Didn't you hear? They busted up.

2

: to cause (something) to end

His gambling problem busted up their marriage.

The police busted the party up.

bust-up

2 of 2

noun

informal

1

: the end of a relationship, marriage, etc. : breakup

the bust-up of their marriage

2

British : a very bad argument or disagreement : quarrel or fight

They had a bust-up over money.

Examples of bust up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

But the impulse to bust up, break away and move on is as old as America itself and, at the same time, as fresh as the latest provocation to pass the lips of the nation’s frothing commander-in-chief. — Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026

But the impulse to bust up, break away and move on is as old as America itself and, at the same time, as fresh as the latest provocation to pass the lips of the nation’s frothing commander-in-chief. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Noun

Last year’s roster bust-up went a long way in reinforcing the future. — Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026

After the Oval Office bust-up with Trump in February, Kyiv embraced the idea of an unconditional cease-fire, perhaps to repair relations with Washington. — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for bust up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup