BUSTED Synonyms: 293 Similar and Opposite Words

busted 1 of 2

adjective

as in broken

forcibly separated into many pieces a busted headlight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

busted

2 of 2

verb

variants also bust

past tense of bust

as in demoted

to bring to a lower grade or rank the commander threatened to bust her for failing to salute

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as in ruined

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 disrupted

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 knocked

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 arrested

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 killed

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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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 busted

Adjective

Thornton scored from Mahomes later on a busted coverage by Chamarri Conner, who was quick to turn to Steve Spagnuolo to take the blame. — Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 By the end of the night, the pavement was littered with busted watermelons, sodas and chips, according to law enforcement and social media videos. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 The components might be familiar—guitars that sound like they’re played through a busted Zenith TV at full volume, heavy acoustic strumming à la ’90s folk-grunge group Days of the New, Slocum’s fading read-out of a voice—but they’re all pulled into slightly unusual shapes. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026 Moore suffered a possible broken nose and busted lip, the warrant said. — Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026 Makar may be part cyborg, but even the tightest machines can’t hide a busted axle. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026 Here is the story of Eternally Yours, the first-ever busted script featured on Dead Pilots Society to subsequently make it to series. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 1 May 2026 Anyone with a busted NCAA Tournament bracket can still appreciate the bracket one mom has put up on her family's wall in Chicago's southwest suburbs. — Noel Brennan, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026 McAneney had a busted lip and a scratch underneath his right eye in his mugshot. — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026

Verb

Barbecho’s license had been suspended since April 2025 when he was busted for drunk driving, officials said. — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026 But Americans who have lost their jobs – or are seeking to bust into the job market for the first time – are struggling to catch a break. — Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 The mood is already ruined after you get busted hooking up in a bar's bathroom. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 The grizzly bear had just busted over the low ridge at 40 yards, and was barreling right at me. — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026 Fishermen on Cape Cod were recently busted for violating Bay State recreational fishing laws, as more than 100 fish were seized. — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 27 July 2026 Ossie then agrees to tell any of Camille and Robert Sims’s Raiders that his equipment’s busted and unusable. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 24 July 2026 Mexico faces formidable challenges trying to bust through a familiar World Cup barrier, with Liga MX owners not focused on helping bolster the national team. — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 Two teens who engaged a Waymo car for an afternoon of carousing were busted after the vehicle delivered them to the San Mateo police. — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 7 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for busted

Adjective

An image from a National Transportation Safety Board report into an incident in which a passenger was nearly sucked out of a broken window of Ryanair Flight 1879 on July 10, 2026, just after takeoff from Thessaloniki, Greece.

— Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Staff in the South Stand offices would spend the winter months wearing jackets due to a broken boiler and, according to Bruce, only the players quickest to the dressing-room showers could expect to enjoy hot water after games.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of broken

Verb

On Sunday, the Phillies cut Shugart from the 40-man roster and demoted him to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, according to the official transaction log.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Acquiring Vodnik cost Miami Norby (who played in 189 games for the Marlins across three seasons but was demoted to Triple A in June) and May (a pitcher prospect in High A).

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of demoted

Verb

Atlassian is up over 30% this morning after the collaboration software maker, thought to be ruined by AI, reported a great quarter.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
With baseball ruined, the Dodgers will look to avoid their second consecutive series loss via the sweep on Wednesday, sending superstar starter Eric Lauer to the mound against Shota Imanaga.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruined

Verb

Costs had been on the decline since March 2025, following a massive outbreak of bird flu that disrupted the egg supply and sent retail prices soaring.

— Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
The outage, now in its 11th day, has disrupted access to medical records, prescription histories, and scheduling systems.

— Andrea Lucia, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of disrupted

Verb

An 18-year-old Los Banos resident was arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found shot to death early Sunday in Turlock, police said.

— Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, was arrested early Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, just hours after the boat carrying 14 people overturned in New York Harbor, the New York Police Department said.

— Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of arrested

Adjective

Pieces of the shattered window were found across several rows of the plane, the NTSB said.

— Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Known for his multifaceted career in television, film, stand-up and more, Lopez has constantly embraced his heritage and shattered stereotypes.

— Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of shattered

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“Busted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busted. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of busted

adjective

verb

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