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.

In 2001, the Hollywood legend was tasked with giving out the award for best motion picture–drama and caused a kerfuffle with her unusual take on the announcement. —

Vogue, 2 Jan. 2025 Then came an odd kerfuffle over who might have called whom: The Trump team let it be known there had been a congratulatory phone call, but the Kremlin then denied news reports of it. —

Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024 Courage Under Fire evidenced that, especially following a kerfuffle just days before over Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s commencement address at Benedictine College in Kansas. —

Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 31 Oct. 2024 Punches were thrown and the kerfuffle was broken up after police usage of pepper spray. —

Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for kerfuffle