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
-
But add to the equation local merchants and eateries and the vibes abounded, which is not to say the cause got lost in the commotion.—
Shirley Halperin,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
-
All the commotion around them was stifling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Jung and Pauli’s hyper-intellectualization of everyday phenomena leaves out a fundamental component of the synchronicity—a deep emotional disturbance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The disturbance has no chance of forming over the next 48 hours and a low 30% chance of forming over the next seven days, the hurricane center said.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Defensive end starter Charlie Collins and backup Phillip Lee led the front-line defensive group with two tackles each, though Lee had a team-high three quarterback hurries.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
-
In 2024, Beaman played in three games and made two tackles and forced one QB hurry.—
Matthew Ho,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Thailand has been in political turmoil since, ever since deadly border clashes with Cambodian forces.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Stock futures gained momentum on Sunday evening as investors brace for fresh inflation data and political turmoil overseas that could ripple through the bond market.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Florida’s Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, created a stir this week suggesting the state eliminate all school vaccine requirements.—
Judy Stone,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
When season 1 premiered, Noah and Joanne’s first kiss caused quite the stir.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Featuring four polished wooden blocks in warm tones topped with knotted jute rope bows, the set adds an autumnal charm with minimal fuss.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra gives you a rugged, do-anything vibe without fuss.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Brides looking for a break from the bustle of downtown Nashville can head about 40 minutes south to Arrington Vineyards for wine tasting on a 95-acre property.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Retreat here to escape from the bustle of the city center without being too far from the action.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurly-burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurly-burly. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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