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.
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
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
But by the end, in its rush, the movie still hasn’t quite come up with a point of view on whether McCartney really got over his bust-up with Lennon with a little help from his Wings friends, or whether forming a band was ultimately incidental to overcoming any lingering separation anxiety.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Video of a wild bust-up on an American Airlines flight shows two men battling it out in the aisle after one allegedly grabbed a woman's neck while passengers disembarked.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The extraordinary public bust-up between Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February stunned European powers.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2025
Tesla has faced serious pressure from investors over Musk’s work with President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and later Musk’s bitter bust-up with Trump.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 10 July 2025
The Wall Street Journal said that Bezos’ Blue Origin executives have pushed for more government contracts in the wake of Trump’s explosive bust-up with rival billionaire space company founder Elon Musk.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Cops are already fretting about what the bust-up could mean for police.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 7 Feb. 2025
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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
But by the end, in its rush, the movie still hasn’t quite come up with a point of view on whether McCartney really got over his bust-up with Lennon with a little help from his Wings friends, or whether forming a band was ultimately incidental to overcoming any lingering separation anxiety.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Video of a wild bust-up on an American Airlines flight shows two men battling it out in the aisle after one allegedly grabbed a woman's neck while passengers disembarked.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The extraordinary public bust-up between Zelenskyy, Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February stunned European powers.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2025
Tesla has faced serious pressure from investors over Musk’s work with President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and later Musk’s bitter bust-up with Trump.
—Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 10 July 2025
The Wall Street Journal said that Bezos’ Blue Origin executives have pushed for more government contracts in the wake of Trump’s explosive bust-up with rival billionaire space company founder Elon Musk.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Cops are already fretting about what the bust-up could mean for police.
—Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bust up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bust%20up. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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