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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or busted
as in bankrupt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bust
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 6 June 2025
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
Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2025
Robertson County Sheriff's deputies recently made their largest methamphetamine bust in history after nearly a half-million dollars worth of the drugs were found during a home search in Cedar Hill, officials said.
—Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 4 July 2025
Two of them — including Downing, who was busted a week after Ba’s killing — were already in custody, while five more were cuffed as a result of the new indictment.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bust
Noun
Worth noting: Contains underwire; sizing is by bust, not waist or hips
Finding a one-piece with real support and shaping—especially in true cup sizes—is a game changer, and Boden delivers exactly that.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 6 June 2025
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
Verb
Location and local businesses The city administrators presented two potential locations for the council to consider: Swift Street, a bust main street at the heart of the local business district, and Macken Park, located at 1002 Clark Ferguson Drive, a ways away from businesses.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2025
Robertson County Sheriff's deputies recently made their largest methamphetamine bust in history after nearly a half-million dollars worth of the drugs were found during a home search in Cedar Hill, officials said.
—Katie Nixon, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Adjective
None busted 25% because my constituents prefer transparency and principles over blind allegiance.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 4 July 2025
Two of them — including Downing, who was busted a week after Ba’s killing — were already in custody, while five more were cuffed as a result of the new indictment.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bust
Noun
-
Smith shoved the gun in the guy’s gut, took the blow, then left.—
John J. Lennon,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
-
The title bout bore out as a chess match, as the ISL school traded blows with one of the top MIAA teams from the South Shore.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
In any disaster, responding quickly can help save people and salve the harm.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
-
But there are some disasters that even the most equipped people can’t possibly prepare for.—
Jessica Pishko,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Willis has been free on his $100,000 bond since shortly after his March 2025 arrest.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
-
Alec Hegge, 31, worked with children on the autism spectrum at Changing Lives Behavior Analysis, Inc. in Anderson prior to his July 24 arrest.—
Ryan Murphy,
IndyStar,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
That wound up turning into a chaotic nine-day spree of surprise shows in people’s yards, following a pop-up show on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
23 July 2025
-
Retail traders are on a buying spree that can keep equities marching to record highs.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
Do not follow large vehicles closely - Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
-
Morning dopamine spikes from phone use reduce your motivation to pursue slower, more meaningful tasks later.—
Ximena Araya-Fischel,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
-
Here, DeMonaco teases more interesting ideas about how the greed of older people has bankrupted current and future inhabitants of this fragile planet.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
-
One of them failed ‒ a franchise of Dickey's Barbecue Pit, which also bankrupted many other franchisees.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Verb
-
Underneath the fun exterior, Red Bull was serious about its ambitions of disrupting F1’s front-runners and assembling a team that was capable of winning a championship.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
Verb
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More: Bourbon, other U.S. spirits could soon be hit with retaliatory EU tariffs.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
-
The floods that hit the Hill Country nearly three weeks ago killed dozens of young girls at Camp Mystic, many of whose families live in the Houston region.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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