as in actively
in a manner involving great or constant activity
the deadline is in two days, so everyone in the department has been working busily
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Recent Examples of busily
King scored only 9, while busily directing traffic and delivering the ball to his go-getting teammates.
—
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Let’s also look after our helpers — the lady beetles, earthworms, birds, bees, syrphid flies and lacewings that busily help our gardens thrive.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
That’s led to top Canadian creatives and producers becoming partners with major American producers busily making original movies and TV series in Toronto and Vancouver for global streaming platforms.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Amid rampant speculation that Zendaya has already wed fiancé Tom Holland, the movie star is busily promoting The Drama, her upcoming A24 movie about, well, a wedding that may or may not end up happening.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2026
Except for the weird assortment of tentacled, befinned, leaflike, rocklike, or altogether bizarre strangers who busily or somnolently populate the stone.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The only wine club that exclusively ships Napa Valley red wine to its members, Robb Report 672 Napa Valley Wine Club is busily preparing its first selection of the year.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 Feb. 2026
In another slightly opposite situation, an actress left the stage and grabbed the cell phone from a member of the audience who was busily texting, totally ignoring the play.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2026
Getty Images—2026 Getty Images At the same time, Denmark has been busily bolstering its military presence in Greenland.
—Lisa Abend, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Let’s also look after our helpers — the lady beetles, earthworms, birds, bees, syrphid flies and lacewings that busily help our gardens thrive.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
That’s led to top Canadian creatives and producers becoming partners with major American producers busily making original movies and TV series in Toronto and Vancouver for global streaming platforms.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Amid rampant speculation that Zendaya has already wed fiancé Tom Holland, the movie star is busily promoting The Drama, her upcoming A24 movie about, well, a wedding that may or may not end up happening.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Mar. 2026
Except for the weird assortment of tentacled, befinned, leaflike, rocklike, or altogether bizarre strangers who busily or somnolently populate the stone.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The only wine club that exclusively ships Napa Valley red wine to its members, Robb Report 672 Napa Valley Wine Club is busily preparing its first selection of the year.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 Feb. 2026
In another slightly opposite situation, an actress left the stage and grabbed the cell phone from a member of the audience who was busily texting, totally ignoring the play.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2026
Getty Images—2026 Getty Images At the same time, Denmark has been busily bolstering its military presence in Greenland.
—Lisa Abend, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busily
Adverb
-
At least 142 activist groups across 24 states are now actively organizing to block data center construction and expansion.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
According to investigators, crews arrived to find two porta-potties on fire and a tree that was actively burning.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
And be sure to shop around diligently for rates and lenders, which has also been shown to result in a below-average mortgage rate for borrowers.—
Aly J Yale,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
With progress made during the meeting, negotiators are expected to continue working diligently toward an agreement.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Busily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busily. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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