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hurly-burly

noun

ˌhər-lē-ˈbər-lē How to pronounce hurly-burly (audio)
Definition of hurly-burlynext
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

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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 According to the listing, the estate was custom built for the princess, with horse corrals, large stretches of usable land, and enough seclusion to feel removed from the hurly-burly of Los Angeles. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 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 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
  1. commotion
  2. disturbance
  3. hurry
  4. turmoil
  5. stir
  6. fuss
Noun
  • Robin’s younger sister Riverley heard the commotion and ran for help.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • In the meantime, there’s a lot of unwieldy comic commotion involving a missing corpse, a tweaking, naked Dwight and enough insipid TV sibling bickering to clog the airwaves for a decade.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of commotion
Noun
  • One study links living near new Kern County oil and gas wells to higher infection risk, while massive housing and solar construction promise more soil disturbance and airborne, infectious dust.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • At first, Lara seems like a disturbance in Ruby’s fantasy of private election.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbance
Noun
  • Miami sacked him three times and had nine quarterback hurries.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • For the day, the Steelers had four sacks, four quarterback hurries, three additional tackles for loss and four passes batted down by defensive linemen, and four of Atlanta’s offensive linemen were called for holding at least once.
    — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of hurry
Noun
  • Nissen said the team was prepared to play despite the week’s turmoil, a sentiment echoed by several players, the Tribune reported.
    — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sneaker industry as a whole is in a period of turmoil, given that consumers don’t appear to want to pay full price for shoes.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of turmoil
Noun
  • Or use it in place of croutons by seasoning it and stir-frying.
    — Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
  • After Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon caused a stir by resigning with a grave warning about the technology's potential risks, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei responded with an essay saying that the industry might need to slow the pace of its work.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of stir
Noun
  • For all the fuss the Edmonton Oilers have generated this offseason, the club will enter the 2026-27 season with a largely unchanged roster.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Amalfi Coast has become something of a cliché, but this reminds you what all the fuss was about in the first place.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fuss

Browse Nearby Words

hurly-burlies
hurly-burly
hurrah
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hurly-burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurly-burly. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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