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
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
As part of its international expansion beyond North America and the UK, Substack is busily hiring partnership leads in additional markets like Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the Nordics.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 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
No matter what happens Monday night in the College Football Playoff title game between Indiana and Miami — a game that will be played in South Florida — Columbus will be busily celebrating the sight of alums hoisting the national championship trophy.
—CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
First-year Arkansas Coach Ryan Silverfield and staff are busily in the process of restocking the roster -- at quarterback and many key defensive positions -- through the portal, as has become the custom in recent years for the Razorbacks and the rest of the FBS.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 3 Jan. 2026
Sohn lived busily, working for a trading company in the 1980s and ’90s, even being deployed to California and Southeast Asia.
—Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
One story of the Desert Fathers recounts a sighting of a demon perched on the top of the monastery, busily scribbling down all the faults of the brothers within.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
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
As part of its international expansion beyond North America and the UK, Substack is busily hiring partnership leads in additional markets like Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the Nordics.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 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
No matter what happens Monday night in the College Football Playoff title game between Indiana and Miami — a game that will be played in South Florida — Columbus will be busily celebrating the sight of alums hoisting the national championship trophy.
—CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
First-year Arkansas Coach Ryan Silverfield and staff are busily in the process of restocking the roster -- at quarterback and many key defensive positions -- through the portal, as has become the custom in recent years for the Razorbacks and the rest of the FBS.
—Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 3 Jan. 2026
Sohn lived busily, working for a trading company in the 1980s and ’90s, even being deployed to California and Southeast Asia.
—Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025
One story of the Desert Fathers recounts a sighting of a demon perched on the top of the monastery, busily scribbling down all the faults of the brothers within.
—JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busily
Adverb
-
Rudofsky then quizzed Givens about Toney's business when he was actively engaged in drug trafficking -- most of which involved marijuana but by 2022 also involved multiple pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine as well as fentanyl.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Feb. 2026
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Newsom, who hasn't ruled out a run for president in 2028, actively challenges Trump, often mocking the president's aggressive style on social media.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Per a February 2026 Vogue profile of Love Story star Pidgeon, Mance and his team worked diligently to source authentic designer pieces and rebuild trust in the series’ portrayal of the glamorous publicist.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
21 Feb. 2026
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Caregivers — nannies, child care workers, preschool teachers, stay-at-home parents, grandparents who swoop in to help — work diligently behind the scenes.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Busily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busily. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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