To get busted

Idiom: "to get busted"

Context #1:

Fred: Hey, did you hear what happened to Joe?

Chris: No, what happened?

Fred: He got busted for drinking and driving. He is in serious trouble.

Chris: Oh man! That's too bad! He's probably going to lose his license.

Context #2:

Stephanie: Yesterday in Math class I was cheating on my test and I got busted by the teacher.

Veronica:  You did? That was stupid.

Stephanie: I know. She took my test away and said I would get a zero.

Meaning: "to get busted" is an American idiom that means to get in trouble for doing something wrong. People get busted when they are caught breaking the law or a rule. Getting busted is embarrassing and usually leads to serious consequences. 

For more information, please visit www.languagesystems.edu