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
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024
The hustle and bustle of London’s busy St. Pancras International Station received a welcome reprise on Wednesday afternoon, when actor Jeff Goldblum delivered an impromptu performance on the Sir Elton John piano positioned on the lower ground floor of the station.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 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
Another video taken later showed the former flames conversing over the bustle of the arena.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024
The hustle and bustle of London’s busy St. Pancras International Station received a welcome reprise on Wednesday afternoon, when actor Jeff Goldblum delivered an impromptu performance on the Sir Elton John piano positioned on the lower ground floor of the station.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 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 3 Dec. 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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