as in disturbances
a state of noisy, confused activity
I couldn't concentrate in all the bustle of the student lounge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in scurries
to proceed or move quickly
the hostess bustled about, taking care of last-minute preparations for the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bustles
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
Fabric and craft ranged from raffia to sequins, bustles to intarsia.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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
Fabric and craft ranged from raffia to sequins, bustles to intarsia.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bustles
Noun
-
Sunday currently appears to be the wetter day of the weekend, with storm coverage increasing area-wide as additional disturbances move into the region.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Lee’s Summit Downtown Days In Lee’s Summit, police spent nearly two hours breaking up a series of incidents and disturbances involving teenagers at the city’s Downtown Days festival Saturday night.—
Ben Wheeler
June 9,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The 60-year immigration bubble finally bursts.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
The way Radcliffe scurries out of his chair and into the green room to meet Liu illustrates her visceral impact.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
-
Beside it, a neon palm tree buzzes.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
The Coburg Bar buzzes with a zappy, more visible, businesses-like energy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
After Amanda rushes off the stage in tears and decamps to her dressing room, West declines to go after her, sitting around onstage like a deer in headlights.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
3 June 2026
-
Preston is a shifty and fast skater who can attack inside ice laterally but can also play out wide and burn for odd-man rushes, and excelled after moving to his off-wing (left wing) in Vancouver, going east-west more on his forehand.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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
Verb
-
Cobbled together as a mixtape from a collection of leaks—allegedly because Veeze was holding onto a payload of Carti tracks—the tape hums along with a looseness that could only come from not being edited to death.—
Matthew Ritchie,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
-
Michelle Williams On a cool spring morning at Booker Vineyard in Paso Robles, California, a drone hums low over the Syrah block.—
Michelle Williams,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bustles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bustles. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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