bustled; bustling
ˈbəs-liŋ 
ˈbə-sə-
1
: to move briskly and often ostentatiously
bustled around the kitchen
2
: to be busily astir : teem
The house was bustling with activity.
: noisy, energetic, and often obtrusive activity
the hustle and bustle of the big city
clothing
: a pad or framework expanding and supporting the fullness and drapery of the back of a woman's skirt or dress
the bustle of a 19th century wedding gown
also
: the drapery so supported
Synonyms
Verb
Noun (1)
- ado
- alarums and excursions
- ballyhoo
- blather
- bluster
- bobbery
- bother
- clatter
- clutter [chiefly dialect]
- coil
- commotion
- corroboree [Australian]
- disturbance
- do [chiefly dialect]
- foofaraw
- fun
- furor
- furore
- fuss
- helter-skelter
- hoo-ha
- hoo-hah
- hoopla
- hubble-bubble
- hubbub
- hullabaloo
- hurly
- hurly-burly
- hurricane
- hurry
- hurry-scurry
- hurry-skurry
- kerfuffle [chiefly British]
- moil
- pandemonium
- pother
- row
- ruckus
- ruction
- rumpus
- shindy
- splore [Scottish]
- squall
- stew
- stir
- storm
- to-do
- tumult
- turmoil
- uproar
- welter
- whirl
- williwaw
- zoo
Examples of bustle in a Sentence
Verb
She bustled around the kitchen getting ready for dinner guests.
on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop
Recent Examples on the Web
D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
Our urban planning prioritizes industry, unlike cities with central plazas bustling with life — think Seville’s Plaza Mayor, with street performers and cafes encouraging connection.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
July and August are peak tourist months, so expect the island to be bustling with fellow visitors and cruise passengers.
—Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
Any uncertainty melted away as the owner, Bernard Teo, greeted me with a hug and whisked me over to a communal table bustling with guests from all over the world.
—Josephine Wong, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Apr. 2024
Israeli border police patrolled the streets of the Old City’s Muslim quarter — an area that is usually bustling with people and adorned with lights, lanterns and decorations during Ramadan.
—NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024
Sacramento’s bustling farmers market scene just made room for another destination — and this one is open on Saturdays.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Each establishment is a stone’s throw away from a bustling area — All Souls is a block from U Street — but maintains a cozy atmosphere thanks to warm lighting and limited seating.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet, amidst the bustling shelves in dispensaries, the potential for optimizing profitability through cannabis accessories often remains untapped.
—Harrison Bard, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) Press Day, an electrifying energy permeated the room, pulsating with excitement and anticipation.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 18 Apr. 2024
For the royal family, Balmoral Castle has long served as a retreat from the hustle and bustle—and the limelight—of London.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
The books below will suit a variety of outdoor readers, including those who get distracted easily by the hustle and bustle around them and those who want meaty works to dive into.
—Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
Beach vacations, city vacations—heck, any type of vacation—might give you permission to pause the hustle and bustle of your everyday life and just relax.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
While guests say there is no food or drinks allowed, the hotel gets love for its convenient location and thoughtful amenities (PJs handed out and heated toilet seats with a bidet for example), this lodging provides a haven amid the urban hustle and bustle.
—Tina Charisma, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
The hustle and bustle lasted into the 9 p.m. hour Friday, as lawmakers were eager to adjourn a week ahead of schedule without dipping into the weekend.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Mar. 2024
But despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle, the property—which overlooks the Tjampuhan Valley and River Oos—still feels like a true sanctuary.
—Annie Daly, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
In lower Manhattan, major renters such as Spotify and Meta have begun shrinking their footprints, vacating entire floors that once bustled with employees.
—D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
Our urban planning prioritizes industry, unlike cities with central plazas bustling with life — think Seville’s Plaza Mayor, with street performers and cafes encouraging connection.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2024
July and August are peak tourist months, so expect the island to be bustling with fellow visitors and cruise passengers.
—Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
Any uncertainty melted away as the owner, Bernard Teo, greeted me with a hug and whisked me over to a communal table bustling with guests from all over the world.
—Josephine Wong, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Apr. 2024
Israeli border police patrolled the streets of the Old City’s Muslim quarter — an area that is usually bustling with people and adorned with lights, lanterns and decorations during Ramadan.
—NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024
Sacramento’s bustling farmers market scene just made room for another destination — and this one is open on Saturdays.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Each establishment is a stone’s throw away from a bustling area — All Souls is a block from U Street — but maintains a cozy atmosphere thanks to warm lighting and limited seating.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Yet, amidst the bustling shelves in dispensaries, the potential for optimizing profitability through cannabis accessories often remains untapped.
—Harrison Bard, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Noun
Yellow Taxi Fellow New Yorkers know how magical the city can be in the summertime and what better way to evoke the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple than with the iconic taxi cab yellow.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) Press Day, an electrifying energy permeated the room, pulsating with excitement and anticipation.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 18 Apr. 2024
For the royal family, Balmoral Castle has long served as a retreat from the hustle and bustle—and the limelight—of London.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
The books below will suit a variety of outdoor readers, including those who get distracted easily by the hustle and bustle around them and those who want meaty works to dive into.
—Chelsea Leu, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
Beach vacations, city vacations—heck, any type of vacation—might give you permission to pause the hustle and bustle of your everyday life and just relax.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024
While guests say there is no food or drinks allowed, the hotel gets love for its convenient location and thoughtful amenities (PJs handed out and heated toilet seats with a bidet for example), this lodging provides a haven amid the urban hustle and bustle.
—Tina Charisma, Essence, 26 Mar. 2024
The hustle and bustle lasted into the 9 p.m. hour Friday, as lawmakers were eager to adjourn a week ahead of schedule without dipping into the weekend.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Mar. 2024
But despite its proximity to the hustle and bustle, the property—which overlooks the Tjampuhan Valley and River Oos—still feels like a true sanctuary.
—Annie Daly, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bustle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bustle
Cite this Entry
“Bustle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bustle. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bustle
1 of 2 verb
bus·tle
ˈbəs-əl
bustled; bustling
ˈbəs-(ə-)liŋ
: to move about busily or noisily
bustle
2 of 2 noun
: noisy or energetic activity
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