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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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
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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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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
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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
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
The dress narrowed at the waist and flowed into a mermaid-style skirt; ruffly layers were featured at the sleeves and bust with a boat neckline at the top.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 28 May 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
The towers remained, standing guard over a boom and bust commemorative plaque on a sidewalk at 17th and California streets.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
The dress narrowed at the waist and flowed into a mermaid-style skirt; ruffly layers were featured at the sleeves and bust with a boat neckline at the top.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
Noun
-
In another blow to China’s push to become a regional leader, India on Thursday rejected signing a joint statement facilitated by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization—one such grouping set up by China and Russia to counter U.S. influence.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
27 June 2025
-
The Senate parliamentarian has advised that a Medicaid provider tax overhaul central to President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending bill does not adhere to the chamber’s procedural rules, delivering a crucial blow as Republicans rush to finish the package this week.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 June 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
-
While most protesters were peaceful, incidents of violence occurred, leading to over 100 arrests.—
Adeola Adeosun
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
-
During an interview with the detectives, Owen confessed to the shooting and provided multiple corroborating details, police said Detectives then obtained an arrest warrant and took him into custody.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
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
-
As part of its strategy to reduce cancer rates, the European Commission aims to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% of the EU population by 2040.—
Lisa Klaassen,
CNN Money,
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
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
Earlier, in the fourth, Chisholm hit his fourth homer in his last five games.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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