as in boisterous
being rough or noisy in a high-spirited way
while American university debates tend to be sedate affairs, their counterparts in Oxford are wholeheartedly rumbustious
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Recent Examples of rumbustious
In the crowd at that rumbustious Democratic Convention in 1896 was a journeyman journalist, L. Frank Baum, who had a number of careers behind him by that time.
—
David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
Around this time, the outfit’s quirky, lightly rumbustious songs began to resonate across British press and radio; accessible while containing a marked dose of strangeness, Fontaine’s songwriting – at once emotionally raw and witty – boasted a strong multi-generational appeal.
—Sophie Williams, Billboard, 8 May 2025
The movie is both exquisite and rumbustious, stylized and energized.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 May 2022
Still, there’s a lot of pleasing vitality to this great American story about how clever brewers took an ancient idea and unlocked an unheard-of range of innovations with a combination of capitalist energy and rumbustious creativity.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 18 Apr. 2021
The tech titans, with their somewhat rumbustious Bay Area staffers, look quite vulnerable.
—The Economist, 22 June 2020
David McWilliams, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025
Around this time, the outfit’s quirky, lightly rumbustious songs began to resonate across British press and radio; accessible while containing a marked dose of strangeness, Fontaine’s songwriting – at once emotionally raw and witty – boasted a strong multi-generational appeal.
—Sophie Williams, Billboard, 8 May 2025
The movie is both exquisite and rumbustious, stylized and energized.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 May 2022
Still, there’s a lot of pleasing vitality to this great American story about how clever brewers took an ancient idea and unlocked an unheard-of range of innovations with a combination of capitalist energy and rumbustious creativity.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 18 Apr. 2021
The tech titans, with their somewhat rumbustious Bay Area staffers, look quite vulnerable.
—The Economist, 22 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rumbustious
Adjective
-
Known for his boisterous tone, wonky catchphrases and punny home run calls, Sterling, who was nominated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, dealt with various health issues over the past few years.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
The boisterous crowds during the sumo watch parties.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The top candidates in California’s wide-open race for governor took the stage Wednesday night in a Los Angeles debate that began politely but quickly devolved into another raucous clash.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
The 3-year-old bay thoroughbred colt sent DeVaux and the rest of the owner’s box into a raucous affair as one can surely understand.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The rambunctious anniversary parties.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
4 May 2026
-
On the way to save her beloved canine buddy Krypto, the party-hearty but tortured Supergirl teams up with a vengeful youngster (Ruthye Marye Knoll) and a rambunctious intergalactic bounty hunter (Jason Momoa).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If Pan American Airways represented, at its height, victory and suavity, the country achieving a kind of European state of grace, then Spirit was the exact opposite—synonymous with the rowdy and the rude at the heart of the American character.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Everyone — including smitten Ethan and her rowdy pack of pals — think this is a bad idea.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Murphy then appeared on stage to a rollicking standing ovation and made his way to his place at the dais toward the back of the room.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Those self-aware lyrics are paired with breezy melody and a gently rollicking rhythm, making this feel like a freewheeling summertime favorite.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Tollgate, a pub frequented by hundreds of United supporters on matchdays, is lively even two and a half hours before kick-off.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
That was until this Dutch upstart with his European aesthetic, lively and colorful stores and eye-popping marketing campaigns began to chisel away at their market share.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
But for centuries, Newcastle was a hard-scrabble, noisy, industrial powerhouse.—
Mark Phillips,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
Currently, many campers use generators for larger vehicle setups, which can be noisy during the night for nearby tent campers.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
The group above is wanted in connection with a violent robbery on board a CTA bus in Washington Park on April 9.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
-
More heavy elements, more violent eruptions.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rumbustious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rumbustious. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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