bustled; bustling
ˈbəs-liŋ 
ˈbə-sə-
1
: to move briskly and often ostentatiously
bustled around the kitchen
2
: to be busily astir : teem
The house was bustling with activity.
: noisy, energetic, and often obtrusive activity
the hustle and bustle of the big city
clothing
: a pad or framework expanding and supporting the fullness and drapery of the back of a woman's skirt or dress
the bustle of a 19th century wedding gown
also
: the drapery so supported
Synonyms
Verb
Noun (1)
- ado
- alarums and excursions
- ballyhoo
- blather
- bluster
- bobbery
- bother
- clatter
- clutter [chiefly dialect]
- coil
- commotion
- corroboree [Australian]
- disturbance
- do [chiefly dialect]
- foofaraw
- fun
- furor
- furore
- fuss
- helter-skelter
- hoo-ha
- hoo-hah
- hoopla
- hubble-bubble
- hubbub
- hullabaloo
- hurly
- hurly-burly
- hurricane
- hurry
- hurry-scurry
- hurry-skurry
- kerfuffle [chiefly British]
- moil
- pandemonium
- pother
- row
- ruckus
- ruction
- rumpus
- shindy
- splore [Scottish]
- squall
- stew
- stir
- storm
- to-do
- tumult
- turmoil
- uproar
- welter
- whirl
- williwaw
- zoo
Examples of bustle in a Sentence
Verb
She bustled around the kitchen getting ready for dinner guests.
on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop
Noun (1)
I couldn't concentrate in all the bustle of the student lounge
Recent Examples on the Web
Maryam Jillani, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2024
Friendship bracelets and Eras Tour sweatshirts galore filled the bustling Indianapolis International Airport on Monday morning as thousands of Swifties flew home after the three-night leg of the Eras Tour.
—Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024
Christina Shepherd McGuire, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2024
Despite the hustle and bustle, or perhaps because of it, Marrakech offers a few more tranquil spaces, like the Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.
—Elle Benson Easton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bustle 
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Verb
Tucked away on a quiet street off bustling Burgos Street, the area’s main thoroughfare, the bar’s unmarked entrance opens into a stunning space lined with vintage glassware, books, and spirit bottles from floor to ceiling.
—Maryam Jillani, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2024
Friendship bracelets and Eras Tour sweatshirts galore filled the bustling Indianapolis International Airport on Monday morning as thousands of Swifties flew home after the three-night leg of the Eras Tour.
—Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
As fall turns to winter and the holidays arrive, the hustle and bustle of the season’s cheer is upon us.
—Christina Shepherd McGuire, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2024
Despite the hustle and bustle, or perhaps because of it, Marrakech offers a few more tranquil spaces, like the Jardin Majorelle and the Yves Saint Laurent Museum.
—Elle Benson Easton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bustle
Dictionary Entries Near bustle
Cite this Entry
“Bustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bustle. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bustle
1 of 2 verb
bus·tle
ˈbəs-əl
bustled; bustling
ˈbəs-(ə-)liŋ
: to move about busily or noisily
bustle
2 of 2 noun
: noisy or energetic activity
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