plural flurries
1
a
: a gust of wind
b
: a brief light snowfall
2
a
: a brief period of commotion or excitement
b
: a sudden occurrence of many things at once : barrage sense 2
a flurry of insults
3
: a brief advance or decline in prices : a short-lived outburst of trading activity
flurried; flurrying
: to cause to become agitated and confused
: to move in an agitated or confused manner
Synonyms
Noun
Verb
Examples of flurry in a Sentence
Noun
We had a few flurries yesterday.
a flurry of activity on the floor of the stock market as soon as the news spread
Verb
flurried by visions of falls and broken bones, the parents wouldn't even allow the child to ride a bike
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Poast, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2023
But a flurry of new research suggests that dangerous tipping points are nearer than once thought and that there is likely less room in Earth’s carbon budget than expected.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
The host city of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games (July 26-August 11) and Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8) will welcome visitors with a flurry of new hotels and restaurants.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023
Of course, the flurry of smartphone cameras trying to capture every living second of this planet in the TikTok era has also helped to destigmatize wearable cameras.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 15 Nov. 2023
The enhanced focus on DEI post-George Floyd sparked a flurry of race and ethnicity target setting.
—Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
The teen-ager looks around for any flurries of white—as the birds’ bright stomachs can be spotted against the dark.
—Jessica Bishopp, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023
The variety of needs—and energy sources—is apparent in a flurry of recent energy-harvesting research, including some hybrid work that integrates multiple modalities.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2023
White House to unveil sweeping artificial intelligence order tackling immigration and safety
The order comes amid a flurry of efforts to craft new laws, conduct consumer protection probes and collaborate with international regulators to curb the risks of AI.
—Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
Karla Walsh, Country Living, 1 Sep. 2023
Joe Mazzulla called a rare timeout to settle his team, with a 6-point Boston flurry in the next 83 seconds growing the lead back to 18.
—Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023
With only nine ticks off the clock, Hathaway and Maroon tangled in a protracted dirty dance — Tevye, some foot stompin’ music, please — and flurry of heavy shots along the boards near the Tampa bench.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2023
Simple math made answering that flurry difficult.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2023
Can’t rule out a sprinkle or flurry either day.
—Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2022
Passing sprinkle or flurry?
—Paul Douglas, Star Tribune, 10 Oct. 2020
The university had scrambled to set up banks of portable toilets, a large screen on the lawn to simulcast what was happening onstage in the chapel and heat lamps, when the temperature dropped and snow began to flurry.
—Ruth Graham Jesse Barber, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
In a sun-lit room, Lily Aldrige and Jasmine Tookes sit serenely as a team of hair and makeup artists flurry around them.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 6 May 2022
See More
Noun
The flurry of armed confrontations could be just such a phenomenon, concealing no deeper meaning: Some of the frozen conflicts, for instance, were due for flare-ups or had gone quiet only recently.
—Paul Poast, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2023
But a flurry of new research suggests that dangerous tipping points are nearer than once thought and that there is likely less room in Earth’s carbon budget than expected.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 16 Nov. 2023
The host city of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games (July 26-August 11) and Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8) will welcome visitors with a flurry of new hotels and restaurants.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023
Of course, the flurry of smartphone cameras trying to capture every living second of this planet in the TikTok era has also helped to destigmatize wearable cameras.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 15 Nov. 2023
The enhanced focus on DEI post-George Floyd sparked a flurry of race and ethnicity target setting.
—Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
The teen-ager looks around for any flurries of white—as the birds’ bright stomachs can be spotted against the dark.
—Jessica Bishopp, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023
The variety of needs—and energy sources—is apparent in a flurry of recent energy-harvesting research, including some hybrid work that integrates multiple modalities.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2023
White House to unveil sweeping artificial intelligence order tackling immigration and safety
The order comes amid a flurry of efforts to craft new laws, conduct consumer protection probes and collaborate with international regulators to curb the risks of AI.
—Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 30 Oct. 2023
Verb
In nearly all snow-prone parts of the country, expect higher-than-usual rates of snowfall, with an early start and late end to flurry season.
—Karla Walsh, Country Living, 1 Sep. 2023
Joe Mazzulla called a rare timeout to settle his team, with a 6-point Boston flurry in the next 83 seconds growing the lead back to 18.
—Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023
With only nine ticks off the clock, Hathaway and Maroon tangled in a protracted dirty dance — Tevye, some foot stompin’ music, please — and flurry of heavy shots along the boards near the Tampa bench.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2023
Simple math made answering that flurry difficult.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2023
Can’t rule out a sprinkle or flurry either day.
—Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2022
Passing sprinkle or flurry?
—Paul Douglas, Star Tribune, 10 Oct. 2020
The university had scrambled to set up banks of portable toilets, a large screen on the lawn to simulcast what was happening onstage in the chapel and heat lamps, when the temperature dropped and snow began to flurry.
—Ruth Graham Jesse Barber, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2023
In a sun-lit room, Lily Aldrige and Jasmine Tookes sit serenely as a team of hair and makeup artists flurry around them.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 6 May 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flurry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
probably from flurr to throw scatteringly
First Known Use
Noun
1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1749, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Dictionary Entries Near flurry
Cite this Entry
“Flurry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flurry. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
flurry
1 of 2 noun
flur·ry
ˈflər-ē 
ˈflə-rē
plural flurries
1
a
: a gust of wind
b
: a brief light snowfall
2
: a sudden commotion
a flurry of publicity
3
: a brief outburst of activity
a flurry of trading in the stock exchange
flurry
2 of 2 verb
flurried; flurrying
: to become or cause to become agitated and confused
More from Merriam-Webster on flurry
Nglish: Translation of flurry for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of flurry for Arabic Speakers
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