1
as in reducing
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bankrupting
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 disrupting
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 hitting
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 arresting
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 killing
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of busting
If the intensity wasn’t necessarily up there with Dwyane Wade busting Kobe Bryant’s nose in 2012, this was still a massive step-up from the 211-186 result of two years ago.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026
In another example against Troyes, Tudor’s team are slow to get up the pitch after a clearance, but a lung-busting run from Cengiz Under kickstarts the team-wide press.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Season 2 ended with Kitty and Min Ho busting Stella aka Esther (Audry Huynh) for trying to ruin Min Ho’s dad’s career.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
But what is new, at least since the end of the Cold War, is church leaders’ growing concern about an intentionally norm-busting foreign policy.
—Gerard F. Powers, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
One way to make the most of its smell-busting capabilities is to throw a few slices of lemon in the dishwasher before running a cycle.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Walker, a fourth-year player out of Michigan State University, ran for 135 juking, sliding, shuffling, lung-busting yards against the New England Patriots on Sunday night and put himself among the greats of the game by being voted the MVP of Super Bowl LX.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
And many of them were side-stepping and bobbing along to a set by DJ Mace, who was also busting moves nonstop, even when the cameras weren't on him.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 6 Feb. 2026
She's also credited with busting two former finance directors in Northern Kentucky with embezzlement, LINK nky reported.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2026
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026
In another example against Troyes, Tudor’s team are slow to get up the pitch after a clearance, but a lung-busting run from Cengiz Under kickstarts the team-wide press.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Season 2 ended with Kitty and Min Ho busting Stella aka Esther (Audry Huynh) for trying to ruin Min Ho’s dad’s career.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
But what is new, at least since the end of the Cold War, is church leaders’ growing concern about an intentionally norm-busting foreign policy.
—Gerard F. Powers, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
One way to make the most of its smell-busting capabilities is to throw a few slices of lemon in the dishwasher before running a cycle.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Walker, a fourth-year player out of Michigan State University, ran for 135 juking, sliding, shuffling, lung-busting yards against the New England Patriots on Sunday night and put himself among the greats of the game by being voted the MVP of Super Bowl LX.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
And many of them were side-stepping and bobbing along to a set by DJ Mace, who was also busting moves nonstop, even when the cameras weren't on him.
—Pien Huang, NPR, 6 Feb. 2026
She's also credited with busting two former finance directors in Northern Kentucky with embezzlement, LINK nky reported.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busting
Verb
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In addition to the effects of the pandemic and tariffs, climate issues — drought in Vietnam, heavy rain in Indonesia, and hot, dry weather in Brazil — are blamed for reducing yields of coffee crops and driving up global prices.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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That means air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will receive paychecks as usual, reducing the risk of widespread flight cancellations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the question of how to get landlords to deliver this housing without bankrupting their buildings matters just as much.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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The indictment, unsealed in a federal courthouse in New York on Thursday, accuses Patrick James and Edward James of bankrupting First Brands and fraudulently obtaining billions of dollars behind the backs of the company's lenders and financing partners.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And Palantir cofounder Thiel has been disrupting the college-to-job pipeline for much longer.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
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The guest list is high-profile enough that the street in front of the building, a main artery in the city, is cordoned off for the entire evening, disrupting tram service, and dozens of police officers are stationed outside.—
Valeriya Safronova,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Bench coach Jeff Pickler, third base coach Andy Gonzalez, first base coach Doug Bernier, assistant hitting coach Jordan Pacheco and Schaeffer all took players aside to point out the nuances of the contact play.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On July 17, 2014, Orta took video of then-NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo putting Garner in a fatal chokehold and pulling him to the ground while arresting him for selling loose cigarettes on Staten Island.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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That means questioning, investigating, and in some cases arresting people for civil immigration violations – authority traditionally reserved for federal officers.—
Jaclyn Diaz,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Also on Tuesday, Indivisible CT is conducting an anti-ICE rally on the state Capitol lawn, taking political aim at a federal agency that has fallen sharply out of public favor after killing two American citizens in Minnesota and roughing up scores of others.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
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The ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden, who has been accused of killing his wife late last year, pleaded not guilty in the case during a virtual court appearance on Tuesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Times is considering demoting the SilverZone to the BronzeZone.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Shortly after the 2024 layoffs, UT made major changes to its marketing and communications department, laying off 20 staff members and demoting its leader.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Steam cleaning is an effective way to sanitize and refresh your mattress, but the wrong technique can end up ruining the fabric.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
15 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, Bree doesn’t even realize that Evan is already in the process of ruining everything.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Busting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busting. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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