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
Recent Examples on the Web
Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024
Between the pizza parlor and the bustling pepperoni roll business, the family was stretched thin, each working more than a hundred hours a week.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
At the rotisserie, a short line had formed in front of a stylish open kitchen, where cooks in toques bustled around, wielding copper pots.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
These are just some of the views Israelis in Jerusalem’s bustling Machane Yehuda food market expressed to Fox News Digital earlier this week.
—Ruth Marks Eglash, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2024
Such steep discounts have become normal for office space across the United States as the pandemic trends of hybrid and remote work have persisted, hollowing out urban centers that were once bustling with workers.
—Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
On the quest, Po is forced to leave his comfort zone of the Valley and venture out into Juniper City, a place bustling with action, plenty of food and new characters.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
There is Phil Dike’s oil painting of the Plaza de Los Angeles from 1939, with the artist’s impression of the lively area adjacent to Olvera Street that still bustles with life today.
—Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
Willy Wonka's chocolate factory is a magical, colorful place with a chocolate river, edible flowers and Oompa Loompas bustling about.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024
Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
Beach vacations, city vacations—heck, any type of vacation—might give you permission to pause the hustle and bustle of your everyday life and just relax.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
While guests say there is no food or drinks allowed, the hotel gets love for its convenient location and thoughtful amenities (PJs handed out and heated toilet seats with a bidet for example), this lodging provides a haven amid the urban hustle and bustle.
—Tina Charisma, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
The hustle and bustle lasted into the 9 p.m. hour Friday, as lawmakers were eager to adjourn a week ahead of schedule without dipping into the weekend.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Mar. 2024
But despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle, the property—which overlooks the Tjampuhan Valley and River Oos—still feels like a true sanctuary.
—Annie Daly, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
The hustle and bustle of the setup is nothing compared to the action come 4:30, with hostesses seating diners at long cafeteria tables and Fry Kids running order slips to the kitchen.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
But recently for Sydney Bernhardt, some of it was spent in the middle of a busy uptown Charlotte crosswalk, trying to weave through the hustle and bustle of the city crowd and traffic — with an iPhone and a tripod in hand — to capture the perfect shot to post on Instagram.
—Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024
Just 51 miles away from New Orleans, Bay St. Louis couldn't feel further from the hustle and bustle.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Israeli border police patrolled the streets of the Old City's Muslim quarter — an area that is usually bustling with people and adorned with lights, lanterns and decorations during Ramadan.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024
Between the pizza parlor and the bustling pepperoni roll business, the family was stretched thin, each working more than a hundred hours a week.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024
At the rotisserie, a short line had formed in front of a stylish open kitchen, where cooks in toques bustled around, wielding copper pots.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
These are just some of the views Israelis in Jerusalem’s bustling Machane Yehuda food market expressed to Fox News Digital earlier this week.
—Ruth Marks Eglash, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2024
Such steep discounts have become normal for office space across the United States as the pandemic trends of hybrid and remote work have persisted, hollowing out urban centers that were once bustling with workers.
—Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024
On the quest, Po is forced to leave his comfort zone of the Valley and venture out into Juniper City, a place bustling with action, plenty of food and new characters.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024
There is Phil Dike’s oil painting of the Plaza de Los Angeles from 1939, with the artist’s impression of the lively area adjacent to Olvera Street that still bustles with life today.
—Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
Willy Wonka's chocolate factory is a magical, colorful place with a chocolate river, edible flowers and Oompa Loompas bustling about.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
The books below will suit a variety of outdoor readers, including those who get distracted easily by the hustle and bustle around them and those who want meaty works to dive into.
—Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
Beach vacations, city vacations—heck, any type of vacation—might give you permission to pause the hustle and bustle of your everyday life and just relax.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
While guests say there is no food or drinks allowed, the hotel gets love for its convenient location and thoughtful amenities (PJs handed out and heated toilet seats with a bidet for example), this lodging provides a haven amid the urban hustle and bustle.
—Tina Charisma, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
The hustle and bustle lasted into the 9 p.m. hour Friday, as lawmakers were eager to adjourn a week ahead of schedule without dipping into the weekend.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Mar. 2024
But despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle, the property—which overlooks the Tjampuhan Valley and River Oos—still feels like a true sanctuary.
—Annie Daly, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
The hustle and bustle of the setup is nothing compared to the action come 4:30, with hostesses seating diners at long cafeteria tables and Fry Kids running order slips to the kitchen.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
But recently for Sydney Bernhardt, some of it was spent in the middle of a busy uptown Charlotte crosswalk, trying to weave through the hustle and bustle of the city crowd and traffic — with an iPhone and a tripod in hand — to capture the perfect shot to post on Instagram.
—Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024
Just 51 miles away from New Orleans, Bay St. Louis couldn't feel further from the hustle and bustle.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bustle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bustle
Cite this Entry
“Bustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bustle. Accessed 19 Apr. 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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