bust-up
Americannoun
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a separation or dissolution, as of a marriage or a close friendship.
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a large party, especially a noisy one.
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Chiefly British. a quarrel; disturbance; punch-up.
noun
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a quarrel, esp a serious one ending a friendship, etc
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a disturbance or brawl
verb
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(intr) to quarrel and part
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(tr) to disrupt (a meeting), esp violently
Etymology
Origin of bust-up
First recorded in 1840–50; noun use of verb phrase bust up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
During his tenure, he was known to bust up his colleagues, and “Today” anchors ranging from Edwin Newman, Barbara Walters and Jane Pauley to Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, Al Roker and Meredith Vieira.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026
Owen added: "I was expecting that we would have a massive bust up, but it didn't happen."
From BBC • May 30, 2024
Ng5 f4!, looking to bust up the White defensive fortress.
From Washington Times • Jun. 13, 2023
He began to work with various wildlife protection nonprofits, then joined a series of U.N. and Interpol undercover operations in China and Vietnam to bust up the illegal trade in elephant ivory.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 11, 2022
So it may be that by the mid-1940s, when Stetson Kennedy was trying to bust up the Klan, it didn’t really need to use as much violence.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
