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

The tracks on those trails ranged from cub-size up to real busters. —Carl T. Johnson, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2025

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

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