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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Artists Equity legal representative Leita Walker wrote in a March 19 response to the plaintiffs’ demand letter that the film does not purport to tell the true story of the 2016 Miami drug bust or portray real-life people.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Airports facilitate this norm-busting behavior.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Noel Brennan, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
McAneney had a busted lip and a scratch underneath his right eye in his mugshot.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bust
Noun
Fusty and fractious Professor Bullfinch is bludgeoned with a bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne in his office at Cromwell University, throwing the faculty into a tizzy and spurring Elizabeth Cutty, the university’s president, into covering the university’s backside.
—Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Artists Equity legal representative Leita Walker wrote in a March 19 response to the plaintiffs’ demand letter that the film does not purport to tell the true story of the 2016 Miami drug bust or portray real-life people.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
Verb
The other guys are on their feet, trying to break it up, someone is calling someone else a loser, there are swings and kicks and insults, men grabbing at other men, trying to restrain them and busting the restraints.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Airports facilitate this norm-busting behavior.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Adjective
Anyone with a busted NCAA Tournament bracket can still appreciate the bracket one mom has put up on her family's wall in Chicago's southwest suburbs.
—Noel Brennan, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
McAneney had a busted lip and a scratch underneath his right eye in his mugshot.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
Noun
-
For a club already facing relegation on the pitch, their own fans may have just dealt them the final, crushing blow.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
The decision by the Senate's parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, deals a blow to Trump and his administration, which has sought the money for security purposes related to the ballroom.—
Nolan D. McCaskill,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Boeing has reached confidential pre-trial settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the Ethiopian Airlines disaster and a similar 737 Max crash five months earlier off the coast of Indonesia that together killed 346 people.—
Rio Yamat,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
-
But the 48-year-old former San Francisco County supervisor’s solution — a single-payer-style public disaster insurance program — is poorly defined and presents an enormous risk for a state struggling with chronic deficits.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Khartoum was safer than Kordofan, but Nuba and other minority groups were still subjected to arbitrary arrests and detention.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.—
Dennis Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
-
The killings were part of a two-night spree ordered by Manson that left seven people dead and stunned the nation.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Earlier that year, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a sweeping climate change bill with an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030, 70% by 2040, and to achieve economy-wide net-zero levels by 2050.—
Krisztian Elcsics,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
Likewise, in building communities, there must be a priority on preserving green spaces, creating walkable neighborhoods to reduce traffic and car emissions, intentionally designating areas for wildlife habitats, and prioritizing quality of life through parks, trails, and conservation areas.—
Sammy Duda,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Fuel consumption for such a vessel would also likely have bankrupted the Japanese Navy.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
-
Among its many distinctions, SPLC is known for bankrupting the Ku Klux Klan.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What’s next for I-77 South Carter-Adamson and Ivory were disappointed to hear that I-77 will once again disrupt lives around Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
-
Canvas outage disrupted students during finals The timing made the outage especially frustrating.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Andy Pages hit a three-run home run and Max Muncy hit his 12th homer of the season on the next at-bat to break a scoreless game in the fourth inning.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
-
For cocktails and nightlife, hit TopGolf or Nola’s for live music then end the night strong with a table at HQ nightclub where resident and guest DJs keep the dance floor bumping and bottle servers keep the bubbly and energy flowing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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