1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered a bust to the boxer's chops
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Relevance
2
as in disaster
something that has failed
the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust
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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
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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
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1
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute
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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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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
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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
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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
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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
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variants
or busted
as in bankrupt
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of bust
Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
No one exemplifies the boom and bust – the flash and dalliances with the justice system – of the American Dream more than President Trump.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Brian Mazique, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Is this the Vista Ridge team to finally bust through?
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2024
Alexandra Digby, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2023
The state was in the midst of a speculative land frenzy that was always threatening to go bust.
—Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for bust 
Noun
Straub had bought the house in 1931, and done the decorating, and there was a bust of her in the living room.
—Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
No one exemplifies the boom and bust – the flash and dalliances with the justice system – of the American Dream more than President Trump.
—Ryan Craig, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Pineda was busted open above the left eye, but on brand with his usual style, the Dallas native just kept coming.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Is this the Vista Ridge team to finally bust through?
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
In the late 1980s, the commercial real estate boom turned bust.
—Alexandra Digby, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2023
The state was in the midst of a speculative land frenzy that was always threatening to go bust.
—Alexander Sammon, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
Noun
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And in what many consider the final blow to her mayoral career, Thao’s home was raided by FBI agents in July.Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
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In a game of dueling masterpieces from Nikola Jokic and Kyrie Irving, neither of them dealt the decisive blow.Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Regional authorities have been heavily criticized for having issued alerts to mobile phones some two hours after the disaster had started.Hernán Muñoz and Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
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The rule could prevent a disaster like the one that happened with Synapse, where thousands of consumers lost access to their funds.Jeff Kauflin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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And the latest arrest comes just over a month after a Chinese woman in the eastern city of Leipzig was detained on suspicion of foreign agent activities and passing on information regarding arms deliveries.Carlo Angerer, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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On his official campaign Facebook page, Schenke posted a statement addressing the arrest.Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In a 4-3 decision issued Friday, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld a 60-year prison sentence for a man who went on a two-month kidnapping and robbery spree in Hamilton County.Laura A. Bischoff, The Enquirer, 2 Nov. 2024
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Amid the big selling spree, Berkshire’s cash hoard reached $325.2 billion in the third quarter, an all-time high for the conglomerate.Yun Li, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Roofing contractors said good roofs with years of life left are being replaced ahead of schedule to allow insurers to reduce their risk going forward.Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
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Opened in 1956, Sunnyvale High School, the city’s second public high school, worked to achieve collaboration between students and educators, aiming to reduce violence and enrich the curriculum during the interracial tension that marked the 1960s and ’70s.Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Trump has tried to tackle medical billing, a byzantine—and sometimes bankrupting—process for many in the U.S.Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2024
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But 2020 proved to be a crippling blow that threatened to bankrupt the theater where Smith forged his love affair with movies.Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Harris supporters called Trump a threat to democracy for his refusal to concede his 2020 loss to Biden, unfounded election fraud claims and his supporters’ Capitol riot to disrupt Biden’s presidential certification.Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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Having studied the chaotic aftermath of the 2020 election, both were now eying plans to disrupt each of the procedural steps between Election Day and the Inauguration, such as the December 11th deadline for each state to ascertain a winner, and the December 17th meeting of each state’s electors.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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There was no immediate report of casualties or details on what was hit.Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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But the latest model still pushes battery life to lengths few machines have hit in our testing, with an unprecedented 28 hours and 33 minutes of video playback time.Brian Westover, PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near bust
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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