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
Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024
A lot has changed in Tempe since then, but downtown — known by its thoroughfare, Mill Avenue — while different, is still bustling with bars and shops (but RIP Long Wong’s), a mix of Arizona State University students and everyone else.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 1 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
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
A lot has changed in Tempe since then, but downtown — known by its thoroughfare, Mill Avenue — while different, is still bustling with bars and shops (but RIP Long Wong’s), a mix of Arizona State University students and everyone else.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 1 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 22 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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