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
Rosenblatt now lives in a gray, semidetached Victorian house on a somnolent road just off the hurly-burly of a North London high street.
—
John Lahr, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
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
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
John Lahr, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
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
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
-
This decision to stop progress on Be Fri came in late 2023, months after Toy Story prequel movie Lightyear was a box office misfire in light of right-wing pundits causing commotion over its same-gender kiss.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The high-gloss finish of each nail also deserves some commotion.—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Additionally, 57 percent of acreage uses no-till or conservation tillage, minimizing soil disturbance to reduce erosion, improve water infiltration and lower fuel use.—
SJ Studio,
Footwear News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
An active weather pattern returns by the end of the week due to a southerly wind, an increase in moisture, and a few different disturbances.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But that could get much worse in a hurry if prices rise sharply.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
6 Apr. 2026
-
However, these champions are not in a hurry to achieve this remarkable feat.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Twelve destinies searching for peace and belonging, while the house remains a haven through decades of turmoil.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Others aren’t so sure, pointing to the long hiatus, the off-screen turmoil and a television landscape that no longer moves in lockstep.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Simply gather all the ingredients, pile everything into your slow cooker, stir, and set.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The public-private project has caused a stir in Charlestown.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One is beautiful and famous the world over; the other is even more beautiful yet content not to have to put up with all the fuss and attention.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But the first phase of curbside construction isn’t expected to cause much fuss for drivers.—
Megan Rodriguez,
San Antonio Express-News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management warned residents that demolition may produce loud noises and advised them to close their windows.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park fought the noise of campus hoopla to present Duke Ellington's sacred music at Knowles Chapel.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hurly-burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurly-burly. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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