1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered a bust to the boxer's chops
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in disaster
something that has failed
the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrest
slang
the act of taking or holding under one's control by authority of law
those lowlifes were nabbed for drug dealing in a massive bust last month
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4
as in spree
a bout of prolonged or excessive drinking
a bunch of underage kids having a beer bust while the parents were away for the weekend
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to bankrupt
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts
gambling is a dangerous habit that has busted many unfortunate souls
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
the butterfingered husband had busted more plates than he cared to remember
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
busted the storekeeper on the nose and was promptly arrested for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to arrest
slang
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
the cops busted the revelers for drinking in public
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
I had to bust my butt in order to get the project done on time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or busted
as in bankrupt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bust
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 6 June 2025
And last year, when Silicon Valley Bank—favored by startups—was about to go bust, the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, came to its customers’ rescue.
—Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2024
Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
Dozens of missing children were rescued and eight people arrested following a human trafficking bust in Central Florida earlier this week, according to Florida officials.
—Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
Meanwhile, Candace is more determined than ever to finally bust her little brothers, while their pet platypus, Perry, continues to lead a double life as the suave Agent P. on a mission is to thwart evil.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bust
Noun
Worth noting: Contains underwire; sizing is by bust, not waist or hips
Finding a one-piece with real support and shaping—especially in true cup sizes—is a game changer, and Boden delivers exactly that.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 6 June 2025
And last year, when Silicon Valley Bank—favored by startups—was about to go bust, the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, came to its customers’ rescue.
—Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2024
Verb
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport labeled Barkley as a potential bust candidate for the 2025 NFL season.
—Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
Dozens of missing children were rescued and eight people arrested following a human trafficking bust in Central Florida earlier this week, according to Florida officials.
—Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025
Adjective
Clinton declared in the liner notes, having recently gotten busted with Stone.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
Meanwhile, Candace is more determined than ever to finally bust her little brothers, while their pet platypus, Perry, continues to lead a double life as the suave Agent P. on a mission is to thwart evil.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
Noun
-
Pang’s departure is a blow to Apple’s AI ambitions and comes amid internal scrutiny of its AI strategy, which has so far failed to match the capabilities fielded by rival tech companies, leaving Apple dependent on third-party AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
-
In a quiet, devastating moment, Dream kills his son with a single blow.—
Aya Al-Hakim,
People.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
As someone takes on roles that have elements of power associated with it, that can be a recipe for disaster.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
The toxic combination led rebel Republican Sen. Thom Tillis to denounce it as a political disaster.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
An arrest warrant was issued for Elkoussa last week, records show.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
-
An arrest warrant was issue for Whitt in January 2024.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The film sees Steamboat Willie’s first mate, Minnie, go on a killing spree when seeking revenge against the childhood bullies who tortured her as a teenager.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
30 June 2025
-
Zuckerberg’s poaching spree is just the high-stakes version of a much older human truth: transformation is easier to imagine when someone close has already blazed the trail.—
Ellen Choi,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
-
To reduce background noise when making phone calls or joining in with a video meeting, Headphone (1) has a 4-microphone ENC system that’s backed up by AI.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Using the current policy baseline, the CBO found that the legislation would reduce the deficit by $508 billion.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
But even back then, legislators feared that the cost of covering long-term care would bankrupt the Medicare program, as law professor Sidney Watson recounts in her review of this history.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
20 June 2025
-
If your goal were to bankrupt America and destabilize the world, dragging us into another endless Middle East war would be the way to do it.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
As discussed ad nauseum Iran could disrupt shipping in the Arabian/Persian Gulf, but only partly and only for a brief period.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The Justice Department has filed similar prosecutions in recent years, as well as created an initiative aimed at disrupting the threat.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Bregman hit 11 home runs in 226 plate appearances, a rate of one every 20.5 at bats.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Earlier, in the fourth, Chisholm hit his fourth homer in his last five games.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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