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
-
With all of the commotion made about his on-base streak being snapped, his performance on the mound was almost an afterthought.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
From its location away from the courtroom, the jury heard a commotion.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The arrest came days after he was arrested in the nearby city of Concord after allegedly causing a disturbance at a prep school, the Concord Police Department (CPD) confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.—
Jeff Nelson,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The incident stemmed from a domestic disturbance.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Edmonton’s Kris Knoblauch, McDavid’s former junior coach, has accumulated playoff seasoning in a hurry himself.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
If the ping-pong balls bounce its way, the chance to draft AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer would change the temperature of the rebuild in a hurry.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the persona turmoil behind this transformational figure has in many ways remained hidden from view.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But the stock market is brushing off the turmoil.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Episode 2, Cassie dresses like a baby and sucks on a pacifier, which caused quite a stir online.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Bakelite handles stay comfortable and cool on the stovetop for better control with every stir and saute, while the wobble-free construction provides extra strength and helps distribute heat evenly for consistent cooking.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Although there are fancier and allegedly more pet-friendly air fresheners out there, this one is affordable, effective, and fuss-free.—
Kayla Blanton,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Nineteen even-strength saves, five power-play saves, no muss, no fuss.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
October 23 – November 21 Your focus cuts through noise and moves things forward.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Your focus cuts through noise and moves things forward.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hurly-burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurly-burly. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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