bust 1 of 3

noun

Definition of bustnext
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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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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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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bust

2 of 3

verb

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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bust

3 of 3

adjective

variants or busted
as in bankrupt

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bust
Noun
Its collapse did not trigger a systemic financial crisis like the one that followed the housing market bust around 2008. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 Victoria Monét Victoria Monét turned to Bone & Busk Couture for her look, wearing a strapless pink bustier minidress in pink with white lace detailing at the bust. — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
For now, a Super El Niño offers a reason for cautious optimism — not a promise of a drought-busting winter. — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 California crime The LAPD busted a secret network of brothels — but hasn’t arrested the owner. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Adjective
On one of the most damaging, KU blitzed a cornerback and a busted coverage left Donovan Olugbode uncovered along the left sideline. — Taylor Eldridge, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 Together, the data suggest a labor market in neither boom nor bust mode — one that is increasingly becoming an afterthought for Federal Reserve officials looking to plot their next monetary policy action. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
  1. blow
  2. disaster
  3. arrest
  4. spree
  5. reduce
  6. bankrupt
  7. disrupt
  8. hit
Noun
  • Just when Kansas City appeared to be building momentum toward a Sunday night comeback, kicker Harrison Butker missed his second attempt of the night, dealing another blow to the Chiefs’ hopes.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Rutgers starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan left after sustaining a blow to the head 6 minutes, 25 seconds into the first quarter and didn’t return.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Residents, meanwhile, can give firefighters the best shot at stopping a potential disaster by clearing flammable vegetation in their yards and fire-hardening their homes.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The goal, ultimately, is not to eat our way out of an ecological disaster.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of disaster
Noun
  • The familyâs legal team filed complaints targeting Iranian officials who bankrolled Hamas, slamming the ICC for double standards and demanding arrest warrants for the regime bosses backing the atrocity.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Watt joined play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson after Tony Romo went on leave following his July 23 arrest in Wisconsin.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrest
Noun
  • That reticence ended after the tree-cutting spree earlier this month.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • And Criss was concerned that unchecked growth of the program, coupled with a spree of tax cuts, could put the state budget into a tailspin.
    — Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of spree
Verb
  • Integrating the interceptor into existing launch infrastructure could reduce the need for extensive equipment changes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • People can donate clean costumes and pick a new one, reducing waste and the resources and emissions required to make new ones.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • College sports simply can’t exist in its present form without bankrupting our colleges and universities.
    — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Once something has gone catastrophically wrong, the amount of liability could, in some cases, bankrupt the responsible AI company.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of bankrupt
Verb
  • Sectarian tensions and the disrupting force of the Cold War plunged the Middle Eastern nation into decades of armed conflict, with a chilling effect on daily life.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The team radio can disrupt Antonelli’s concentration, so Wolff told me that the engineers have learned how to use it less often, or with fewer words.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • Social media giant Meta was hit with a class action lawsuit in Australia on behalf of children and teenagers who allegedly suffered harm over the addictive design features and exposure to harmful content on its platforms Facebook and Instagram.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For the past few years, Baba Stiltz has been hitting the open road with nothing but a guitar, a tape deck, and a few pedals.
    — Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hit

Browse Nearby Words

bussing
bust
busted
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Cite this Entry

“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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