1. past tense of blockbust: to engage in blockbusting (the practice of inducing property owners to sell their homes at low prices by exploiting racial or ethnic fears, typically to profit from resale)
Usage: historical; often used in the context of mid-20th century real estate practices; considered unethical and discriminatory
2. past tense of blockbust: to achieve major commercial success (of a film, book, or entertainment product)
Usage: informal; modern usage

Examples

• The real estate agent blockbusted the neighborhood by spreading rumors to frighten white homeowners into selling.
• That superhero movie blockbusted at the box office, earning over a billion dollars worldwide.
• Unscrupulous developers blockbusted entire communities during the 1960s and 1970s.
• The new streaming series blockbusted in its first week, breaking viewership records.
• Historians have documented how neighborhoods were blockbusted through predatory tactics.