busied

past tense of busy

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of busied While their fellow Plums busied themselves with bridal parties and wedding cakes, these girls had political awakenings. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026 Appropriately, 19 miles east of their first major trophy lift since the 2021/22 League Cup, City men busied themselves by lifting the FA Cup over Chelsea in what was Pep Guardiola’s 24th visit to Wembley Stadium and his 20th major trophies as City manager. Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026 Another busied himself writing and rewriting the mundane information on his slate. Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders. Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026 The department has also busied itself in Minneapolis with prosecuting residents opposed to what federal officials are doing in their city and immigrants trying to flee their pursuers, a tactic seen in other cities targeted for immigration enforcement. Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026 For the first 12 minutes, the Celtics busied themselves by snapping up free points. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026 Eventually, though, after the Falcons recovered an onside kick successfully and knelt the rest of the way en route to a 19-17 victory, the family busied themselves jumping up and down, screaming for joy. Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026 So, after the sombrero drew hearty guffaws, my friend Jim busied himself finding monuments to chip-and-dip tastelessness. Lee Michael Katz, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busied
Verb
  • But what really interested us with this movie was trying to understand the humanity and searching for and exploring the love and the loyalty to characters to have a dialogue with an audience and not do it for the sake of ego or shock.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Camerlenghi says Gradara Castle has interested him since his childhood.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2026
Verb
  • The Israeli military seized a 400 square kilometer buffer zone inside Syria after the 2024 collapse of the Assad regime and has occupied it since.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, occupied a space in our global cultural imagination — a figure of American mythology, someone best described as larger-than-life and then a little bit more.
    Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Bofill, who is from the eastern Cuban port city of Manzanillo, grew up immersed in music.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In just two weeks, Johnson must have his group immersed in game-week preparation, locking in on a season-opening test at Carolina.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Philipps didn't have symptoms of any kind, but the Prenuvo full-body scan had intrigued her.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Brainy and inquisitive, she’s intrigued enough by his demented search to offer to help.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Verify the numbers, name the next step, and let clear facts make the agreement feel safer for everyone involved.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The university asserted that the subpoena would create unnecessary work for the police department, unearth irrelevant documents and waste the time of everyone involved.
    Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The tension, the uncertainty, the hovering between bravery and cowardice captures some of what fascinated me in Muriel Rukeyser’s novel Savage Coast.
    Anne E. Fernald, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Garfield remembers being fascinated by the rows of VHS tapes and the possibilities behind their covers.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Busied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busied. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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