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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
  • Estradiol transdermal patches, which deliver the estrogen hormone directly into the bloodstream, are used to ease menopause symptoms such as mood swings, hot flashes and sleep disturbances.
    — Sriparna Roy, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Sleep disturbances may also affect the body’s stress and inflammatory responses, potentially influencing digestive function.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 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
  • That means that when such a stellar body buzzes a black hole in a rpTDE, its outer layers are stripped, but its core resists the influence of the black hole.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Dolphins tend to be social and live in groups called pods and exhibit complex methods of communication and echolocation making squeaks, buzzes, whistles and clicks that can be heard from miles away.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of buzzes
Verb
  • Put more simply, QBI takes into account passes, rushes, scrambles, sacks, turnovers and anything else that happens when the football is in the quarterback’s hands.
    — Austin Mock, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • An already small venue has been reduced in size even further as the club rushes through expansion to reach the league minimum of 15,000 capacity by the spring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 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
  • But the area has history, with an old town dating back to the Etruscans and a tranquil port that hums to life each morning with fishing boats.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 9 Sep. 2026.

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