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bust down

B2 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To break something apart using a lot of force, like kicking a door open.

Literal meaning: To bust (break) something downward or apart.

Meanings

1 B2 informal

To break something, especially a door or barrier, open by force.

"The firefighters had to bust down the door to reach the people trapped inside."

Grammar: separable
2 C1 idiomatic informal

(US military/informal) To demote someone to a lower rank.

"The sergeant was busted down to private after the incident was investigated."

Grammar: separable
3 C1 idiomatic slang

(US slang) To cover or encrust something, especially jewellery, with diamonds or gems.

"He spent a fortune busting down his watch with custom-set diamonds."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

The physical sense (break by force) is common in action contexts. The military/workplace sense (to demote) is American English slang. A third emerging slang sense means to decorate something expensively (e.g. a watch 'busted down' with diamonds).

Commonly used with

door wall rank sergeant watch diamonds

Forms

Base
bust down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
busts down
he/she/it
Past simple
busted down
yesterday
Past participle
busted down
have + pp
-ing form
busting down
continuous

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Synonyms

break down kick in force open smash down demolish demote

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