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
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
In both cases, as the danger was spreading through the waters of the Florida reefs, scientists were busily yanking surviving corals out of the water and saving them in aquariums across the state.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
The center of the nebula plays host to a population of energetic young stars that are busily sculpting dense pillars of dust with their radiation.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025
That has Eva Thomas, a writer and filmmaker from Walpole Island First Nation, busily working the room during an Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) breakfast at TIFF‘s Lightbox headquarters.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
According to PreCrime Labs, the threat research team at BforeAI, criminals have been busily creating new domains to offer everything from fake merchandise to non-existent free streaming of the games.
—Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
And Milan, which suddenly feels like the most forward-thinking city in Italy—a place of big ideas, investment, and innovation, busily spouting new subway lines, cutting-edge hotels, and infrastructure ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics—is more than ready to oblige.
—Kerry Olsen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Aug. 2023
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
In both cases, as the danger was spreading through the waters of the Florida reefs, scientists were busily yanking surviving corals out of the water and saving them in aquariums across the state.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
The center of the nebula plays host to a population of energetic young stars that are busily sculpting dense pillars of dust with their radiation.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2025
That has Eva Thomas, a writer and filmmaker from Walpole Island First Nation, busily working the room during an Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) breakfast at TIFF‘s Lightbox headquarters.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
According to PreCrime Labs, the threat research team at BforeAI, criminals have been busily creating new domains to offer everything from fake merchandise to non-existent free streaming of the games.
—Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
And Milan, which suddenly feels like the most forward-thinking city in Italy—a place of big ideas, investment, and innovation, busily spouting new subway lines, cutting-edge hotels, and infrastructure ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics—is more than ready to oblige.
—Kerry Olsen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busily
Adverb
-
Global streamer Netflix, which has been actively bidding for rights to sporting events in the US and Europe, notably rolled out a daily highlights show for the ongoing AFCON 2025 in Morocco — pointing to the potential entry of streaming companies in future CAF broadcast deals.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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Those marketing campaigns go beyond social media posts to keep anticipation at a fever pitch and actively engage the fandom while also attracting new viewers.—
Jim Halterman,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Detectives are working diligently to solve this case.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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With its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060, China is working diligently to move away from fossil fuels toward non-carbon-emitting energy sources.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Busily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busily. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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