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
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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
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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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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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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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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
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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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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
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variants
or busted
as in bankrupt
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bust
Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
On the event’s top floor, Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry was on display and worn by several models, including one who was seated in front of a 3D tree backdrop as an artist sculpted a bust of their likeness.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2025
Noel Murray, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
But as the city went from boom to bust, so did the Latrobe.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2025
Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2024
And while those payments crimped Spotify’s profits, and the company has lately struggled to sell stock investors on a convincing growth story, Spotify is also not about to go bust.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bust
Noun
Hogue wore a pastel maxi dress of her own, hers with a rosette detail on the bust, complementing Mahomes' ruffled look.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
On the event’s top floor, Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry was on display and worn by several models, including one who was seated in front of a 3D tree backdrop as an artist sculpted a bust of their likeness.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
This episode begins with a relatively chill vibe as Dina’s two love interests go riding out into the snowy wilderness, busting each other’s chops.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
But as the city went from boom to bust, so did the Latrobe.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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
And while those payments crimped Spotify’s profits, and the company has lately struggled to sell stock investors on a convincing growth story, Spotify is also not about to go bust.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2024
See All Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
Noun
-
What’s 42 to 43? Into a black place of great blows from the little mountains from the sea came.—
John Berryman,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
-
With a blow of his whistle, all sorts of words applied: pandemonium, euphoria, mania.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The march happened after more disasters caused by climate change and pollution impacted the country.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
-
After severe storms hit the state in mid-March, Sanders applied for disaster relief through FEMA, under what's known as a major disaster declaration.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The arrest at his mother’s home revealed Villatoro Santos appeared to live in a garage converted to a bedroom.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
Following the arrest, Colonghi was also charged with refusal to be processed at the Waterbury Police Department, Bessette said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
Amidst Texas’s fiercest heat-wave on the eve of Ramadan fasting, three young Muslims reluctantly plunge into a crime spree to save their community, confronting the gritty underworld of Houston and their own struggle for power.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2025
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With this Republican trifecta in place comes the opportunity to pass a reconciliation bill that not only extends the Trump tax cuts but also addresses the economic fallout from the Biden administration’s reckless regulatory and spending spree.—
Stewart Whitson,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Answer: Your withdrawals from retirement plans won’t reduce your Social Security directly.—
Liz Weston,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
-
The trial of estrogen alone also raised safety concerns, though both types of therapy reduced the risk of bone fractures.—
Jean Wactawski-Wende,
The Conversation,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Nathan Fielder’s series The Rehearsal — his coping mechanism/social experiment/valiant attempt to bankrupt David Zaslav — premiered its second, six-episode season on April 20.—
Anne Victoria Clark,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Of course, Greg/Gary is an honorable guy who would never bankrupt Belinda to teach her a lesson about greed and blackmail.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When someone has it, their immune system goes into overdrive, producing more antibodies (or immunoglobulins, hence the name) than necessary that disrupt typical organ function.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
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Case in point: Heightened uncertainty about the outlook for the economy has disrupted plans for big-name IPOs like fintech firm Klarna and ticketing platform StubHub over the past month.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning shot, crossing over Antetokounmpo and driving to the basket for a right-handed layup with 1.3 seconds left.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
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More than 900 flights were halted across the U.S. on Wednesday, with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport hit the hardest with more than 700 of those cancellations.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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