bust

1 a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument delivered a bust to the boxer's chops Synonyms bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, bop, box, buffet, blow, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap)Related Words counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke; body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut; cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO; bastinado (or bastinade), battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing; flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

2 something that has failed the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust Synonyms bomb, bummer, failure, catastrophe, clinker, clunker, debacle (also débâcle), disaster, dud, fiasco, fizzle, flop, frost, lemon, loser, miss, shipwreck, turkey, washoutRelated Words also-ran, disappointment, dog, has-been, near miss; botch, hash, mess, muddle, shambles; nonevent; nonstarterNear Antonyms corker, crackerjack (also crackajack), dandy, jim-dandy, phenomenonAntonyms blockbuster, hit, smash, success, winner

3 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 apprehension, arrestment, arrest [slang], collar, pinchRelated Words raid; house arrest; capture, entrapment, seizure; captivity, confinement, detention, enchainment, hold, immurement, imprisonment, incarceration, restraint; rearrest; remandNear Antonyms emancipation, liberation, releaseAntonyms discharge

4 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 bender, binge, carouse, carousal, drunk, jamboree, spree, toot, wassailRelated Words blowout, kegger (also keg party); bacchanalia, orgy, revel, revelry; bibbery, bibulousness, drunkenness, inebriation, inebriety, intoxication, jag, tipsiness

1 to bring to a lower grade or rank the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute Synonyms break, demote, degrade, disrate, downgrade, reduceRelated Words can, cashier, dismiss, downsize, fire, lay off, sack; abase, debase, demean, humble, humiliate, lowerNear Antonyms hireAntonyms advance, elevate, promote, raise

2 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 Synonyms bankrupt, break, ruinRelated Words beggar, impoverish, pauperize; reduce, straiten; clean (out), wipe outNear Antonyms enrich, richen

3 to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly the butterfingered husband had busted more plates than he cared to remember Synonyms break up, break, distintegrate, dismember, disrupt, fracture, fragment, riveRelated Words atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce; blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode; crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash; chip, sliver, splinter, split; implode; destroy, ruin, wreckNear Antonyms doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair

4 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 bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, hit, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zapRelated Words batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough; scuff; bunt, flick, stroke, tap; bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp; bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump [slang], fell, floor, knock down, level; rabbit-punch, sucker punch; cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip; bean, brain, conk, skull

5 slang  to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the cops busted the revelers for drinking in public Synonyms apprehend, arrest [slang], collar, nab, nail, nick [British slang], pick up, pinch, pull in, restrain, run in, seizeRelated Words bag, capture, catch, get, grab, grapple, hook, land, snap (up), snare, snatch, trap; commit, confine, detain, hold, immure, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, jug, lock (up); bind, enchain, fetter, handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel; rearrest; remandNear Antonyms emancipate, free, liberate, loose, loosen, release, spring; unbind, unchainAntonyms discharge

6 to use up all the physical energy of I had to bust my butt in order to get the project done on time Synonyms break, burn out, exhaust, do in, do up, drain, fag, fatigue, frazzle, harass, kill, knock out, outwear, tire, tucker (out), wash out, wear, wear out, wearyRelated Words debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, sap, waste, weakenNear Antonyms activate, energize, invigorate, rejuvenate, strengthen, vitalize; relax, rest, unwind