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
Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Jan. 2025
What was once a bustling train station is now a hub of culture, dining, and entertainment.
—Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
The hustle and bustle of an animal shelter can be intimidating for a new arrival.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for bustle 
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show current usage.
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Verb
The site was bustling when the Star-Telegram visited, as crews worked on ceilings and guest rooms.
—Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Jan. 2025
What was once a bustling train station is now a hub of culture, dining, and entertainment.
—Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
The school is a hub of the community and big source of the small-town feel that made the Palisades feel like such a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the industry.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
The hustle and bustle of an animal shelter can be intimidating for a new arrival.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
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 20 Jan. 2025.
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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