as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
lost sight of his children in all the hurly-burly of the fair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 hurly-burly
But mostly for my parents, who had worked so hard for so many years to create a refuge from the hurly-burly of the outside world.
—
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
In the hurly-burly of a modern economy, people are constantly being hurt by economic changes beyond their control.
—Alan S. Blinder, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018
But mostly for my parents, who had worked so hard for so many years to create a refuge from the hurly-burly of the outside world.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Mustard admires the fact that, rather than engage in the hurly-burly of social media, Lamar will disappear from public view for long stretches of time.
—Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2024
Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
Compounding all of this household hurly-burly is the fact that Suada has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2024
The image’s low contrast and lack of sharpness suggest that it was snapped from the hurly-burly of the piazza.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
By then, his approach to artists had softened, perhaps from age, or from the experience of being in the creative hurly-burly himself.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2023
He is considered a must-follow in the hurly-burly community known as Crypto Twitter for his informed takes on legal and regulatory news.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 3 Oct. 2023
James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
In the hurly-burly of a modern economy, people are constantly being hurt by economic changes beyond their control.
—Alan S. Blinder, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018
But mostly for my parents, who had worked so hard for so many years to create a refuge from the hurly-burly of the outside world.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Mustard admires the fact that, rather than engage in the hurly-burly of social media, Lamar will disappear from public view for long stretches of time.
—Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 22 Aug. 2024
Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
Compounding all of this household hurly-burly is the fact that Suada has stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2024
The image’s low contrast and lack of sharpness suggest that it was snapped from the hurly-burly of the piazza.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
By then, his approach to artists had softened, perhaps from age, or from the experience of being in the creative hurly-burly himself.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2023
He is considered a must-follow in the hurly-burly community known as Crypto Twitter for his informed takes on legal and regulatory news.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 3 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurly-burly
Noun
-
Chateau Elan’s allure may come from its stunning grounds and impressive wine roster, but there’s a creative commotion happening in the kitchens.—
Rai Mincey,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
An employee at a Mercedes-Benz overflow lot, who did not want to be named, heard the rapid gunfire and raced to the commotion to see what was going on.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Police responded to the report of a disturbance on Tuesday at 2:07 p.m. at Kennedy High School where officers and staff worked to separate those who were involved, according to Lt. Ryan Bessette of the Waterbury Police Department.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2025
-
Use medications that can help with nausea, headaches, or sleep disturbances, such as pain relievers, antinausea drugs, and sleeping aids.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
And given how hitters react to seeing meatballs, those extra ones add up in a hurry.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
-
Andor finds his body, but the three of them have to leave in a hurry.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The number comes as Trump's varying tariffs plan has led to market turmoil and raised fears about an impending recession.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
-
His answer, given the exceptional political and economic turmoil in Canada, was a bit surprising.—
Ian Austen,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
No playoff rotational decision caused a stir quite like Redick’s bold Game 4 move.—
Jovan Buha,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
The company, which started in 2015 and sells itself as a meal kit service, is actually closer to an online grocery store than a place that’s going to send you half an onion wrapped in plastic and a tiny baggy of cumin to make some so-so black bean tacos or a random stir fry.—
Carina Finn,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Top it off with the Eero Pro 6E mesh system at $150 off, so your home gets smooth, smart Wi-Fi that works without the fuss.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2025
-
The filling is a hypoallergenic down alternative for those who love the softness of natural feathers without the fuss.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Josh Duhamel prefers to raise his sons in his rural cabin in Minnesota rather than in the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.—
Janelle Ash , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Roma is also a stone’s throw from the Spanish Steps and the bustle of Via Condotti.—
Jenn Rice,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurly-burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurly-burly. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share