BUST Synonyms: 459 Similar and Opposite Words

bust 1 of 3

noun

Definition of bust next

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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as in disaster

something that has failed the first movie was a hit, but the sequel was an unexpected bust

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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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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

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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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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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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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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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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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

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Examples of bust in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday afternoon will mark the fourth time he has been invited to deliver such an address, surpassing the wartime British prime minister whose bust once sat prominently in the White House. —

Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 24 July 2024 The February busts in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and North Carolina constituted the largest number of federal bribery arrests in a single day in Department of Justice history. —

Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2024

Verb

Eventually the gangs were busted, many of the perpetrators jailed, and systems were overhauled. —

Christian Edwards, CNN, 6 Aug. 2024 The song was tied to the second trailer launch and ultimately busted into Billboard’s Top 10 Country Airplay chart. —

Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 21 July 2024

Adjective

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 The first of three busts on our list from the incredibly bust-y 2015 draft. —

Evan Grant, Dallas News, 28 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for bust

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Style

“Bust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bust. Accessed 2 Sep. 2024.

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Last Updated: 25 Aug 2024 - Updated example sentences

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Synonyms of bust

noun

verb

adjective

Examples of bust in a Sentence

Thesaurus Entries Near bust

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