bustled

Definition of bustlednext
past tense of bustle

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 bustled Somali restaurants and coffee shops that once bustled with patrons were nearly empty last week and people are scared to show up to their jobs. Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 2026 Throughout the next hour, the restaurant bustled with orders for burritos, nachos and other Latin street food offerings as the few workers spoke to each other in Spanish. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 19 Nov. 2025 Two of Los Gatos’ busiest streets bustled louder than usual as hundreds of protesters turned out for No Kings demonstrations and drivers honked at them in support. Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025 Balloons hung in the hallway and loud pop music filled the atrium Tuesday morning at Dobie Middle School as students bustled in for the first day of classes. Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bustled
Verb
  • Not only do the four statues bode well for the film’s future, but the room buzzed with good will for Anderson, who didn’t try to hide his glee.
    Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Visitors must be buzzed in by staff in order to enter past the front office.
    Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Rafiq thanked the shopkeeper and hurried out of the bazaar’s maze-like structure to find his car.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Caracas, Venezuela — The morning after US forces bombed Caracas, dragged President Nicolás Maduro out of bed, carted him over the Caribbean and installed him in a Brooklyn jail, many Venezuelans hurried to the grocery store.
    Mary Triny Mena, CNN Money, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Is your play area bursting at the seams?
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Hill burst upon the local high school scene as a sophomore, earning Central Texas newcomer of the year honors in 2023 after rushing for 1,428 yards and 20 touchdowns.
    Rick Cantu, Austin American Statesman, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The clatter of rising shutters echoed through the empty streets, the occasional rambler scurried past, along the walls, bundled tightly in his coat, women walked by with milk bottles tucked in shawls wrapped around their chests.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Tirado scurried to at least half a dozen bags before finding his and pulling out … pickle juice.
    Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The laser-cutting machine hummed with life.
    Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Jan. 2026
  • The broad stock market hummed along in 2025, with the S&P 500 posting a 16% return — the index’s third consecutive year of double-digit gains.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This bill would have put more security at the border, hired more immigration and asylum judges, sped up asylum cases and kept families together with more visa opportunities.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026
  • The video shows that after this second driver sped away, several people walked by unfazed, seemingly oblivious to the body lying in the street, though other bystanders eventually stopped and reached for their phones.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Even pre-Covid, his pockets bulged with hand sanitizer.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
  • My vitamin cabinet bulged with supplements.
    Nisha Sharma, Parents, 9 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Four running backs in the state rushed for more than 4,000 yards.
    Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
  • The couple rushed to the hospital fearing that Norah might not survive.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bustled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bustled. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.

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