as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
lost sight of his children in all the hurly-burly of the fair
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hurly-burly
Noun
-
Actual Vancouverites barely stood by to watch the commotion.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
23 Oct. 2025
-
On the other side, there was just as much commotion, but these conversations were almost hysterical — and far uglier.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Police Department is investigating other possible charges related to the disturbance.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee,
Kansas City Star,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The medication is also sometimes prescribed for nightmares and other sleep disturbances caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the AP.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Unfortunately, to save time, someone who is always in a hurry with limited time for exercise except weekends may be in the habit of leaping into vigorous exercise without warming up properly.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Christian Barmore led with four hurries and Milton Williams had three, but Gabriel was hit just twice.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The turmoil affecting air travel prompted Delta Air Lines on Thursday to demand that Congress reopen the government immediately.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Among Franco’s other movies about worlds in turmoil is New Order, the 2020 Spanish language drama that portrayed a coup d’état in which the wealthy ruling class is replaced by a militarized regime, and which bowed in Venice.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Lily Allen‘s new album West End Girl is causing a stir online.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Cake mix cookies are a busy baker's dream—just stir, scoop, bake, and enjoy!—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
You’re drawn to treats that feel refined yet comforting, with no unnecessary fuss.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Fortunately, the BreezyClear Pro is equipped to address all the baby’s needs from the beginning to the end of the decongestion process; by briefly misting the nasal passages, the device loosens mucus so its powerful suction can remove it quickly and without fuss.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Flooding the valley with noise and velocity, making an impressive mess – smash-up of trees, shrubbery, and unballasted creatures.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The era of noise is fading, and a quieter, more serious phase has begun.—
Gus Bartholomew,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurly-burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurly-burly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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