as in broken
forcibly separated into many pieces
a busted headlight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also bust
1
as in demoted
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 ruined
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disrupted
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 knocked
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 arrested
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 killed
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
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of busted
Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026
Moore suffered a possible broken nose and busted lip, the warrant said.
—Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
Makar may be part cyborg, but even the tightest machines can’t hide a busted axle.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Here is the story of Eternally Yours, the first-ever busted script featured on Dead Pilots Society to subsequently make it to series.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 May 2026
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
Offices are buzzing about busted brackets, surprise upsets, Cinderella stories, and who’s cutting down the nets.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Each year, March Madness can leave you with a busted bracket, so give yourself another chance to pick a winner with The Courier Journal's Louisville nachos tournament.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Mar. 2026
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Vasquez had busted a hole through his attic ceiling with a tire tool, saving his wife, daughter, and two young grandchildren from drowning in their home.
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
At one point, Cutaia enlisted his wife to contact John Doe #1 of his behalf and demand an immediate cash infusion after he was busted for erratic diving in Indiana.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026
But while a cash prize might be dangled, it's often never paid — particularly if the kid carrying out the crime gets busted.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
The 24-year-old’s burning desire, elite athleticism, and an electrifying season at Triple-A Albuquerque busted down the big-league door.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
Ravenous, flesh-eating flies have busted through containment barriers and have now reemerged in the US.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Chwalińska was the symbol of a tournament busted wide open, a chaotic conflagration of all the forces of women’s tennis these days, where depth causes danger from the moment the first balls fly.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 June 2026
The Kennedy Center is broken, unsafe, and $busted, and has been for many years!
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Adjective
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
Moore suffered a possible broken nose and busted lip, the warrant said.
—Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026
Makar may be part cyborg, but even the tightest machines can’t hide a busted axle.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Here is the story of Eternally Yours, the first-ever busted script featured on Dead Pilots Society to subsequently make it to series.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 May 2026
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
Offices are buzzing about busted brackets, surprise upsets, Cinderella stories, and who’s cutting down the nets.
—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026
Each year, March Madness can leave you with a busted bracket, so give yourself another chance to pick a winner with The Courier Journal's Louisville nachos tournament.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
Well, that gives me all the more motivation to bust right through that thing.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026
Vasquez had busted a hole through his attic ceiling with a tire tool, saving his wife, daughter, and two young grandchildren from drowning in their home.
—Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026
At one point, Cutaia enlisted his wife to contact John Doe #1 of his behalf and demand an immediate cash infusion after he was busted for erratic diving in Indiana.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026
But while a cash prize might be dangled, it's often never paid — particularly if the kid carrying out the crime gets busted.
—ABC News, 12 June 2026
The 24-year-old’s burning desire, elite athleticism, and an electrifying season at Triple-A Albuquerque busted down the big-league door.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
Ravenous, flesh-eating flies have busted through containment barriers and have now reemerged in the US.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Chwalińska was the symbol of a tournament busted wide open, a chaotic conflagration of all the forces of women’s tennis these days, where depth causes danger from the moment the first balls fly.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 June 2026
The Kennedy Center is broken, unsafe, and $busted, and has been for many years!
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busted
Adjective
-
Canada’s first-ever World Cup win was overshadowed yesterday when midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg after a tackle that left teammates shaken and coach Jesse Marsch lamenting an injury that turned a night of celebration into one of anguish.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
-
But the win was a costly one since Canada, which entered the tournament missing three starters to injury, lost another early in the second half when midfielder Ismael Kone was carted off on a stretcher with an apparent broken leg after Qatar’s Assim Madibo clipped him from behind.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Kay had to go to Japan to be allowed to do his thing, start and pitch without the threat of being demoted to the minors or released after any bad performance.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
-
But Schultz was the fifth starter until his injury, and his replacement, David Sandlin, was demoted to Charlotte after three starts.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Showing up to shoot in person would only have ruined the city with its realness.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
-
Pete Crow-Armstrong put his name in the Chicago Cubs' record book next to Hall of Fame slugger Hack Wilson — and then nearly ruined the celebration at Wrigley Field.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
And of how Iran’s preparation for this World Cup has been disrupted, this is definitely among the more minor.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Travelers whose flights are disrupted should keep an eye out for change fee waivers and rebooking options from their airline.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
If the 348 was one of the few forgettable Ferraris, its successor knocked it out of the park with peerless styling, an exotic five-valve-per-cylinder V-8, and a quantum leap in performance.—
Basem Wasef,
Robb Report,
17 June 2026
-
There was Peninsula, which had knocked Harvard-Westlake from the playoffs during their freshman year.—
gqlshare,
Daily News,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Police Scotland said that a 36-year-old man was arrested late Friday after officers received multiple reports of attacks in the west and north of Edinburgh.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
Bridges pointed to an encounter last year in which an officer threatened Breshari Faulkner with a Taser, pulled her from her car onto the ground and arrested her during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.—
TRAVIS LOLLER,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Six people were on board the plane, including one person who was killed in the incident, police said.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
Days before the five-year anniversary of the 2021 building collapse that killed 98 people in Surfside, the federal government has published findings that determined the structure of the Champlain Towers South condominium started failing about three weeks before the catastrophe.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
Adjective
-
And while certainly shaken up, the driver and passenger (also test dummies in this case) likely could have walked away without being struck by shattered glass or a protruding antler.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
18 June 2026
-
His dream family apartment overlooking the Mediterranean Sea was a heap of rubble and shattered glass.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Busted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busted. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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