1
as in blows
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 disasters
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 arrests
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 sprees
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 reduces
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 bankrupts
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 disrupts
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 hits
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 seizes
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 wears
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of busts
Marty Steinberg,
CNBC,
22 June 2026
The cocaine seizure follows a string of other major drug busts in Australia.
—
CBS News,
22 June 2026
California’s budget can rise and fall sharply based on gains in the stock market, which puts the state in good financial position during booms and vulnerable during busts.
—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Still, while many of the biggest free-agent bids have turned into busts this season, Tolle has emerged as Boston’s ace and one of the best waiver-wire adds.
—
Dalton Del Don,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Visitors can witness year-round lighting ceremonies and stroll the half-mile Presidential Trail just below the granite busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Two young men — Anthony DiPippo, then 18, and Andy Krivak, then 17, local nuisances with a handful of juvie busts for possession and public mischief — were framed for murder.
—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2026
Her busts of wealthy abolitionists and famous men, such as Lincoln and Longfellow, come across as the meat and potatoes of a commercial artistic practice, but her group sculptures are tantalizingly tricky.
—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
For women with larger busts, some designs use internal slings and power mesh linings to give a comfortable fit.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
Alfred Soto,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
As Sky and Paula are processing this information, Ashley busts in from the other room, gun trained on Paula.
—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Their fortunes flourish in boom times and fall when the economy busts.
—
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Who doesn’t get fired up when the coach busts a move, right?
—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Suddenly, Jamie busts through the house to Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) surgical room and gently places Amy on the table.
—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
This is the kind of guy who kicks down a door and busts somebody’s kidney with a crowbar.
—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
Rather than rushing the decision, Jere heads into the office to a shockingly chummy Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Denise (Isabella Briggs), who busts his chops about the wedding’s yacht formal dress code.
—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Amanda Rollins busts a move to the theme song below.
—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
Greenspan was appointed Fed chairman in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and held the position — through busts and booms — until retiring in 2006.
—
Marty Steinberg,
CNBC,
22 June 2026
The cocaine seizure follows a string of other major drug busts in Australia.
—
CBS News,
22 June 2026
California’s budget can rise and fall sharply based on gains in the stock market, which puts the state in good financial position during booms and vulnerable during busts.
—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 2026
Still, while many of the biggest free-agent bids have turned into busts this season, Tolle has emerged as Boston’s ace and one of the best waiver-wire adds.
—
Dalton Del Don,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Visitors can witness year-round lighting ceremonies and stroll the half-mile Presidential Trail just below the granite busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
—
Usa Today Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Two young men — Anthony DiPippo, then 18, and Andy Krivak, then 17, local nuisances with a handful of juvie busts for possession and public mischief — were framed for murder.
—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2026
Her busts of wealthy abolitionists and famous men, such as Lincoln and Longfellow, come across as the meat and potatoes of a commercial artistic practice, but her group sculptures are tantalizingly tricky.
—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
For women with larger busts, some designs use internal slings and power mesh linings to give a comfortable fit.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
Verb
Mighty Real includes an amusing anecdote about trying to finagle an interview with New Order’s Bernard Sumner in the early ’80s when bassist Peter Hook busts in and shows you his uncut willie.
—
Alfred Soto,
Pitchfork,
24 June 2026
As Sky and Paula are processing this information, Ashley busts in from the other room, gun trained on Paula.
—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Their fortunes flourish in boom times and fall when the economy busts.
—
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Who doesn’t get fired up when the coach busts a move, right?
—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Suddenly, Jamie busts through the house to Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) surgical room and gently places Amy on the table.
—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Mar. 2026
This is the kind of guy who kicks down a door and busts somebody’s kidney with a crowbar.
—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
Rather than rushing the decision, Jere heads into the office to a shockingly chummy Steven (Sean Kaufman) and Denise (Isabella Briggs), who busts his chops about the wedding’s yacht formal dress code.
—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Amanda Rollins busts a move to the theme song below.
—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busts
Noun
-
Onaje died four days later — having suffered fatal brain hemorrhaging from multiple blows to his skull.
-
Officers said that Samartino quickly assessed the situation and immediately began administering back blows to the infant.
Noun
-
Previous cloud-seeding controversies Cloud seeding is now at the center of the rise in weather‑control conspiracy narratives after disasters, such as the tragic Texas floods of 2025 that killed dozens of people, many of them children.
-
Peace emphasized that such disasters have a lasting impact.
Noun
-
Eighty‑four percent of those who died were not wearing a life jacket, and Texas Game Wardens made 223 Boating While Intoxicated arrests last year.
-
The gunman took off and no arrests were made.
Noun
-
Singer Bradley Nowell drunk-steered his band through sordid anthems, crashing through references to classic ska and dancehall songs, shouting out Rudimentary Peni and Geto Boys, and re-setting the murder ballads and drug sprees of outlaw country in suburban California.
-
The surge in pink slips started in 2023, when companies that had gone on hiring sprees during the COVID-19 pandemic began to cut back.
Verb
-
Soluble fiber reduces cholesterol levels by blocking its absorption in the digestive tract and promoting its excretion from the body.
-
Its 58-degree vertical design reduces wrist strain, while advanced features boost productivity.
Verb
-
The 2020s have been a decade of compounding American institutional failure — a pandemic, political rupture, an affordability crisis, student loan servicers treated as adversaries, a healthcare system that bankrupts the sick, and a growing sense that the system is not working as advertised.
Verb
-
Each surgery disrupts blood supply to the skin and lays down a new layer of scar tissue, meaning the risks compound with every procedure.
-
Xenotransplantation disrupts this trajectory.
Verb
-
Of course, the movie had to contend with the beloved Toy Story 5, and the staying power of recent horror hits like Obsession and Backrooms, so that at least explains it.
-
For a good deal on a budget gaming laptop, this 35% discount on the Asus TUF 16 hits the sweet spot.
Cite this Entry
“Busts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busts. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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