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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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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bust
Julie Coleman, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2025
Of course, not every shake could crack the top five—but that doesn’t mean the rest were a bust.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Mar. 2025
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
Last month, Michael was busted for allegedly assaulting his estranged wife, Kate Major Lohan, in Texas, which led to his arrest on Sunday in Florida.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, Fox News, 18 Mar. 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
Cramer referenced a recent piece by Deutsche Bank that analyzed booms and busts throughout history, where researchers noted that some private sector booms were financed with debt and stock issuance.
—Julie Coleman, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2025
Of course, not every shake could crack the top five—but that doesn’t mean the rest were a bust.
—Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
If none of these five teams bow out early, one thing remains certain: Brackets will be busted.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
Last month, Michael was busted for allegedly assaulting his estranged wife, Kate Major Lohan, in Texas, which led to his arrest on Sunday in Florida.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, Fox News, 18 Mar. 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
-
That’s a major blow to both sales and long-term customer loyalty.—
Samuel Mueller,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
His ruling, stopping the TPS revocation while the lawsuit plays out in his court, was a blow to the Trump administration.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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However, he’s also had his share of expensive disasters, such as Joao Felix, Santiago Arias and Nikola Kalinić.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
All the while, he’s typically dressed in a form-fitting dress, a shoulder-length wig and heeled boots (because open-toed shoes around hatchets and augers could spell disaster).—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The stabbing occurred under the Memorial High School tent in the stadium bleachers at approximately 10 a.m. on April 2, according to the arrest report.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The suspect is now facing charges of assault with bodily injury with a previous conviction, injury to the elderly, continuous violence against family, resisting arrest and terror threat of family, McLennan County Jail records seen by PEOPLE show.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
To tap into growing demand, but also support Marriott Bonvoy’s success in the country, Marriott has been on a development spree to grow its luxury brands in Brazil specifically.—
Ramsey Qubein,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Trump is on a firing spree: The Trump administration fired the director of the National Security Agency, his deputy and several other top NSA staffers Thursday.—
Cate Martel,
The Hill,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Standardization can also reduce due diligence burdens.—
The Sorenson Impact Institute,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
This has, among other losses, reduced Egyptian revenue from the Suez Canal by about eight hundred million dollars a month.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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These two economic realities could bankrupt the dollar, seriously crater our economy and make the Depression look like the Roaring ’20s.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The outcome was a blow to the environmental advocacy group, which has previously said that a lawsuit of this size could bankrupt its U.S. operations.—
Simmone Shah,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Shearing emphasized that there are no true winners in a tariff war, as higher prices harm consumers and disrupt global supply chains.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Behind the scenes there was no doubt other dreams were dashed and processes disrupted.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In the Season 5 finale, June was deliberately hit and run over by a car bearing the Gilead symbol.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Denzel Aberdeen hit the second of two free throws after Houston fouled, giving the Cougars one last chance to win or tie the game with 19 seconds to go.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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