kerfuffle

noun

ker·fuf·fle kər-ˈfə-fəl

plural kerfuffles

Synonyms of kerfuffle next

informal

: a disturbance or commotion typically caused by a dispute or conflict

In all the kerfuffle, nobody seemed to have noticed Harry, which suited him perfectly.—

J. K. Rowling

It's not the only school with dress code issues; almost every week there's a local story about some kerfuffle over what kids wear to school.—

Belinda Luscombe

Did you know?

The Evolution of Kerfuffle

Fuffle is an old Scottish verb that means “to muss” or “to throw into disarray”—in other words, to (literally) ruffle someone’s (figurative) feathers. The addition of car-, possibly from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning “wrong” or “awkward,” didn’t change its meaning much. In the 19th century carfuffle, with its variant curfuffle, became a noun, which in the 20th century was embraced by a broader population of English speakers and standardized to kerfuffle, referring to a more figurative feather-ruffling. There is some kerfuffle among language historians over how the altered spelling came to be favored. One theory holds that it might have been influenced by onomatopoeic words like kerplunk that imitate the sound of a falling object hitting a surface.

Examples of kerfuffle in a Sentence

predictably, the royal scandal caused quite a kerfuffle on Fleet Street

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The kerfuffle gained the attention of Egyptian Parliament, with MP Amira Abu Shoka calling for an explanation from Sherif Fathy, the country’s minister of tourism and antiquities. —

News Desk, Artforum, 6 Feb. 2025 The memo kerfuffle was quickly, and tragically, overshadowed by the collision over Reagan Airport, as well as by hearings for some of Trump’s controversial cabinet picks. —

Matthew Continetti, National Review, 1 Feb. 2025 Two words that caused a whole lot of media kerfuffle. —

Davey Winder, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 In fact, this medal kerfuffle undoes an Olympic milestone: Chiles, her teammate Simone Biles, and Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade were the first all-Black podium in the games’ history. —

Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 12 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for kerfuffle