bustling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbəs-liŋ How to pronounce bustling (audio)
Definition of bustlingnext
1
as in busy
involved in often constant activity a bustling greeter was there to welcome guests to the grand opening

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in buzzing
marked by much life, movement, or activity a bustling shopping center during the Christmas season

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bustling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bustle
1
as in bursting
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 hurrying
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 bustling
Adjective
West Side homeless encampment At the bustling encampment on West 45th Street at 11th Avenue, people shave with water from a hydrant and use strips of plastic and cardboard to find shade. — Dave Carlin, CBS News, 13 July 2026 While Baltimore still had a bustling downtown shopping scene on Howard Street, the business community saw the potential of new markets and shoppers who did not want to pay downtown parking fees or ride public transit. — Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2026
Verb
In Minneapolis and New Orleans, CNN found once-bustling shops and restaurants growing quiet during federal immigration operations as some immigrants avoided work and parents kept children home from school. — Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026 The Exchange District is also a bustling cultural hub and is packed with independent boutiques like Two Macaws and cafes like Parlour Coffee. — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bustling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bustling
  1. busy
  2. buzzing
  3. bursting
  4. hurrying
  5. engaged
  6. vibrant
  7. teeming
  8. traveling
Adjective
  • Perhaps a Sunday evening after peak usage time, before a busy week ahead.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The incident comes as Colorado experiences a sharp increase in bear activity fueled by poor natural food conditions, prompting officials to urge people to take extra precautions during the busy late-summer season.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of busy
Adjective
  • Tucked away in a private backyard in Ashford, one of the state’s few apitherapy huts allows people to breathe in air from thousands of buzzing bees.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Over the decades, the equipment evolved into today’s version of the sport, featuring a beeping softball and four-foot-tall buzzing foam bases that guide players through sound.
    — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of buzzing
Verb
  • The wealth of the richest Americans has torqued upward, bursting through the top of the graph, with no end in sight, completely untethered from the rest of the United States.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Murphy has built an empire by keeping a full-to-bursting pipeline of shows and returning to certain creative wells.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of bursting
Verb
  • That’s how Drake Maye ended his latest two-minute drill at Patriots training camp Monday, a meandering march that began around midfield and ended with Maye hurrying the offense to the 3-yard line with 10 seconds on the clock.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Set over the course of eight years (including the lockdown period during COVID), Herry’s film unfolds fluidly, neither hurrying scenes up unnecessarily, nor lingering too long on any incident.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 17 May 2026
Definition of hurrying
Adjective
  • The jury was listening intently and looking at the screen as the story of the shooting unfolded, more engaged after already listening to hours of the recording.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Say what has changed, ask what still works, and suggest a flexible next step that gives both people space to stay engaged.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of engaged
Adjective
  • Beyond the seating area is the hotel shop with a vibrant range of pottery to drool over.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Anthony Ortega has been to Egypt and jumped at the chance to experience a piece of history in this vibrant setting.
    — Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of vibrant
Verb
  • Johnson County, with Iowa City and its teeming suburbs, and Scott County's economically diverse cities of Davenport and Bettendorf help make the district among the most competitive in the country.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Great teeming swarms of them, with an occasional locust seen in big buggy close-up, and shots of flying from a locust’s-eye view (the Steadicam had just been invented).
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of teeming
Verb
  • Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir will lead an official delegation traveling to Tehran on Monday, Iranian state television reported, citing Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Early Friday morning, rock band Buckcherry was involved in a car crash while traveling for its Roar Like Thunder Tour.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of traveling

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bustles
bustling
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Cite this Entry

“Bustling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bustling. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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