bustles 1 of 2

noun

plural of bustle
as in disturbances
a state of noisy, confused activity I couldn't concentrate in all the bustle of the student lounge

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bustles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bustle
1
as in bursts
to be copiously supplied on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop

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2
as in scurries
to proceed or move quickly the hostess bustled about, taking care of last-minute preparations for the party

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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 bustles
Noun
The clubby street-side Street Bar bustles with locals and visitors from dawn to dusk, while its rooftop restaurant, Contessa, is among the sceneiest spots in town. — Andrew Sessa, Robb Report, 2 July 2026 Set the scene Frenetic Sandton bustles with traffic, office and residential towers, and commercial enterprises. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 Yes, this popular New England weekend getaway spot bustles with tourists in the summer months—for good reason. — Kara Williams, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 The downtown bustles with businesses both old and new. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026 Temporary and permanent business closures across Minneapolis Ordinarily on weekends, Midtown Global Market bustles with live music, laughing children and a diverse array of businesses, says González. — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026 Often an aunt bustles in and replaces a dead mother. — Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026 Vercors Regional Natural Park is on the village’s doorstep and the whole place bustles with performers, music, shows and stalls for the medieval festival held each year in the first week of August. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025 Inside, the studio bustles with activity. — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bustles
  1. disturbances
  2. bursts
  3. scurries
  4. commotions
  5. buzzes
  6. rushes
  7. stirs
  8. hums
Noun
  • The smallest robot was the most agile of the three, and the largest one was the best at maintaining its trajectory when faced with disturbances meant to throw it off course.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In response to the disturbances, The Rotunda increased security at the space.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbances
Verb
  • Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • Haaland bursts our bubble almost immediately by scoring in the opening five minutes, and Burnley miss a few good first-half chances, with striker Zian Flemming particularly culpable.
    — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of bursts
Verb
  • Inside Botánica Santo Tomas in Wilton Manors, store owner Héctor Giovanni Pizarro Santana sweeps the floor as his tiny Chihuahua, Bella, scurries behind him.
    — Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Alicent scurries the great halls, desperate to shore up support for her plan to hand Rhaenyra the Red Keep.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of scurries
Noun
  • Over the past year, men’s ski jumping has been marred by Norway’s cheating scandal and more recent genital manipulation rumors, which has become one of the early commotions of the Milano-Cortina Games.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of commotions
Verb
  • Stand-Up Paddleboarding at Lakeside Marina Jessica Verne The alarm buzzes early on our second full day in South Lake Tahoe.
    — Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The kitchen buzzes as volunteers carry in trays of Creole dishes and barbecue while one of the sisters stirs a large cooler of lemon margaritas.
    — Windsor Johnston, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of buzzes
Verb
  • The microscopic amoeba thrives in warm freshwater and can cause a neurological infection when water containing the amoeba rushes through the nose and reaches the brain, according to the state health department.
    — Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Hard hits are welcome, but not at the expense of leaving the team vulnerable to odd-man rushes.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rushes
Noun
  • Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of stirs
Verb
  • Best Time to Visit The best time to visit Delray Beach is from late April through early June, when the city still hums with energy but sheds the intensity of peak season.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2026
  • This deck area positively hums with IG brunch-scene potential.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 June 2026
Definition of hums

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Cite this Entry

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

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