: any of various stout-billed passerine birds (families Cardinalidae and Emberizidae) of which some are grouped with the cardinal and some with the New World sparrows compare indigo bunting, painted bunting
1
: a lightweight loosely woven fabric used chiefly for flags and festive decorations
2
a
: flags
b
: decorations especially in the colors of the national flag
: an infant's hooded garment made of napped fabric
Examples of bunting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Riley Rourke, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Their games prioritize pace and entertainment, with no bunting, no mound visits and (best of all) a two-hour time limit.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Though deBessonet’s production strips away a lot of the bunting, Ragtime has a stolid and demonstrative core and an educational tone worthy of EPCOT.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
The play backfired because the Dodgers ran a perfect wheel play, an anachronistic maneuver in a sport in which sacrifice bunting is all but dead.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bunting
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.
Noun
The Uxbridge Police Department hung black bunting in the hours after the crash and Governor Maura Healey ordered flags to be flown at half-staff.
—Riley Rourke, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Their games prioritize pace and entertainment, with no bunting, no mound visits and (best of all) a two-hour time limit.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Though deBessonet’s production strips away a lot of the bunting, Ragtime has a stolid and demonstrative core and an educational tone worthy of EPCOT.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
The play backfired because the Dodgers ran a perfect wheel play, an anachronistic maneuver in a sport in which sacrifice bunting is all but dead.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bunting
Cite this Entry
“Bunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bunting. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bunting
1 of 2 noun
bun·ting
ˈbənt-iŋ 
: any of various finches that are similar to sparrows in size and habits but have stout bills
bunting
2 of 2 noun1
: a thin cloth used chiefly for making flags and patriotic decorations
2
: flags or decorations made of bunting
Etymology
Noun
Middle English buntynge "bunting"
Noun
possibly derived from a dialect word bunt "to sift (meal)"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
