1
as in blow
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 disaster
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 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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or busted
as in bankrupt
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bust
Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
There was once a time when Eagles fans hated him, a first-round pick who failed to perform early in his career, a bust.
—Larry Holder, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2025
What to know about youngest White House press secretary Federal student loans, Pell Grants not tied up in funding pause, but will be reviewed Indiana man pardoned by Trump for Jan. 6 riot is shot and killed by deputy during arrest A house party with over 100 teens is busted.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2024
And while those payments crimped Spotify’s profits, and the company has lately struggled to sell stock investors on a convincing growth story, Spotify is also not about to go bust.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bust 
Noun
The floor-length dress and thin black belt that sat gently below the bust hugged her baby bump.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
There was once a time when Eagles fans hated him, a first-round pick who failed to perform early in his career, a bust.
—Larry Holder, The Athletic, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
Imagine Patrick Mahomes doing deflategate, Andy Reid getting busted for sending spies into opponents’ practices, and Travis Kelce getting arrested on murder charges.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 Jan. 2025
What to know about youngest White House press secretary Federal student loans, Pell Grants not tied up in funding pause, but will be reviewed Indiana man pardoned by Trump for Jan. 6 riot is shot and killed by deputy during arrest A house party with over 100 teens is busted.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
And last year, when Silicon Valley Bank—favored by startups—was about to go bust, the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, came to its customers’ rescue.
—Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2024
And while those payments crimped Spotify’s profits, and the company has lately struggled to sell stock investors on a convincing growth story, Spotify is also not about to go bust.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
Noun
-
However, this is a huge win for City and a devastating blow for England’s top flight.—
Dan Sheldon,
The Athletic,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Kennedy’s confirmation was a green light for Trump’s assault on reproductive rights and a devastating blow to public health.—
Katherine Hartley,
New York Daily News,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Whether it‘s picking apart the factors that led to the chain filing for bankruptcy (and the postmortem of its endless-shrimp disaster), recruiting top talent for his C-suite, or ensuring more restaurants don’t have to close, Adamolekun has plenty of issues to bait his temper.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Well, speaking of process versus outcome, that's a disaster.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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All three refused to provide identification or sign arrest paperwork, and were identified only after their pictures were shown to an FBI agent, police said.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Ruiz also had several active arrest warrants and an arrest warrant out of Newtown, police said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The early years of the pandemic saw a massive hiring spree in tech, fueled in part by shifting consumer spending habits amid lockdowns.—
Bailey Schulz,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Los Angeles then doubled down with another spending spree, adding, retaining or extending pricey players like Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, Michael Conforto, Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández and Clayton Kershaw, among others.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Guided by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration has moved aggressively the past week to fire probationary workers across federal departments and agencies in an effort to drastically reduce the size of the government.—
Joey Garrison,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
-
An extra set of eyes and ears helps reduce the odds of injury.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The stop order has paralyzed U.S. aid programs around the world, bankrupting fragile local aid groups and small businesses and putting lives at risk.—
Andrew Natsios,
Foreign Affairs,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Ukraine's drone operations are designed to bankrupt Moscow's ability to continue funding the war, and the damage on oil production and processing facilities has also impacted Russia's economy.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Lower serotonin levels can disrupt this process, leading to constipation.87 Ongoing stress can also affect the gut barrier and make your intestines more sensitive to bacteria.—
Brittany Dube,
Health,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Mahomes has a significant edge at quarterback over Jalen Hurts, but Philly’s defense can disrupt his timing in the pocket, contain his scrambles and lock down his receivers.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In the video, O'Leary wailed after the metal object hit him in the chest.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Bellinger has pulled the ball at a 45% clip throughout his career, and he’s hit flyballs 44.3% of the time.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near bust
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.
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