BUST Synonyms: 459 Similar and Opposite Words

bust 1 of 3

noun

Definition of bust

as in blow

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument delivered a bust to the boxer's chops

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Relevance

as in disaster

something that has failed the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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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

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bust

2 of 3

verb

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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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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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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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

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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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bust

3 of 3

adjective

variants or busted

as in bankrupt

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bust

Noun

The seizure marks the second-largest cocaine bust in the Southern District of California this year, according to federal prosecutors. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 Sanders’ personal watches, an original cash register, his cutlery set, a bust sculpted by his daughter and a commercial gas range from the colonel’s former residence are among the items up for bidding. — Dylan Lovan, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026

Verb

Fishermen on Cape Cod were recently busted for violating Bay State recreational fishing laws, as more than 100 fish were seized. — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 27 July 2026 For five years running, Americans have had to live with wallet-fleecing, budget-busting, paycheck-eating inflation – including a painful stretch where the pace of price hikes hit a 40-year high. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Adjective

Six years later, those plans have gone bust and only a small elementary school founded by Bhakta's wife has materialized. — Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 The components might be familiar—guitars that sound like they’re played through a busted Zenith TV at full volume, heavy acoustic strumming à la ’90s folk-grunge group Days of the New, Slocum’s fading read-out of a voice—but they’re all pulled into slightly unusual shapes. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bust

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust

Noun

After Torres broke a tie with a two-run shot in the fifth, Clark delivered his big blow the following inning.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
That was a massive blow, and losing speedy rookie wide receiver Chris Brazzell to another knee injury Wednesday didn’t help, either.

— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of blow

Noun

Established by Congress in 1990, TPS gives temporary protection to people who don’t feel safe returning to countries plagued by disaster or armed conflict such as El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

— Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026
That was, frankly, ridiculous, and our coverage said as much, arguing that this deep dive into one of Hollywood’s most notorious genre disasters deserved a much wider release.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 30 July 2026

Definition of disaster

Noun

Fort Worth police did not immediately provide copies of affidavits supporting the suspects’ arrests.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
At the time of Thompson's arrest in 2024, Thompson was serving time in a federal prison on unrelated drug and gun charges.

— Adam Thompson, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Definition of arrest

Noun

Lavie's latest arrest comes nearly four months after Los Angeles County prosecutors accused her of carrying out a dating app burglary spree targeting wealthy victims across Southern California.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
Spurs boast a number of tidy, technical players in the front line but this summer’s spending spree feels an opportunity to add some punch to the No 10 position.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of spree

Verb

For example, shifting the Fed’s portfolio toward short-term Treasury bills and away from long-term bonds or mortgage-back securities could reduce market price distortion and limit the government’s role in allocating capital across sectors.

— David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
And China, with its massive oil inventory, has been drawing down its reserves and reduced its crude imports by more than 4 million barrels a day, according to JPMorgan.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of reduce

Verb

French money underwrote the American Revolution, bankrupting Louis XVI’s government and paving the way for their own revolution within a decade of the end of the American war.

— Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026
Unless homeowners opt out individually by July 16, more than 200,000 Jackson County households will become part of the lawsuit class seeking a direct one-time refund of overpayments, which some have warned could bankrupt the county.

— Ilana Arougheti July 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026

Definition of bankrupt

Verb

As thousands of professors at in the University of California system say the students entering their classrooms are increasingly under-prepared for university-level math, the university’s timely graduation rates just hit all-time highs.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
Average daily rates in Miami hit $302 for both game nights and eves, according to AirDNA.

— Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026

Definition of hit

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“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of bust

noun

verb

adjective

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