bust-up

noun

An angry argument.

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Meanings

nounbust-up (plural bust-ups)

plural bust-ups

  1. slangAn angry argument.

    “It was a real old bust-up. I do wish I knew what it was all about.”

    1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 23
    1 more example

    Donald Trump warned Elon Musk on Saturday that he faces “very serious consequences” if he funds Democratic candidates following the pair’s epic public bust-up this week.

    2025 June 7, Edward Helmore, “Trump warns Musk of ‘very serious consequences’ if he backs Democrats”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
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Cite this entry
APA

bust-up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust-up

MLA

“bust-up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust-up. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bust-up,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bust-up.

Source: bust-up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.