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
-
Actual Vancouverites barely stood by to watch the commotion.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
23 Oct. 2025
-
On the other side, there was just as much commotion, but these conversations were almost hysterical — and far uglier.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Banners or signs may not be commercial in nature or obscene, or cause any disturbance to other fans.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
No disturbances are currently reported in the Central Pacific.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Unfortunately, to save time, someone who is always in a hurry with limited time for exercise except weekends may be in the habit of leaping into vigorous exercise without warming up properly.—
Bryant Stamford,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Christian Barmore led with four hurries and Milton Williams had three, but Gabriel was hit just twice.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Bessent sought to project confidence in the wake of the turmoil, announcing not only the $20 billion bailout but also plans to raise another $20 billion from private investors.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The token’s price spiked and then rapidly crashed, prompting criminal complaints, market, turmoil, and a court investigation into whether his promotion aided a scheme run by the token’s organizers.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Combine the two in a non-reactive container and stir.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Her Cornish Rex cat, Rabbit, is sprawled out on the floor, unconcerned by the two birds (Chicken and Charlie) chirping from an adjacent office or a colleague’s gray-haired cat next door, who seems to be causing a stir.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
You’re drawn to treats that feel refined yet comforting, with no unnecessary fuss.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Fortunately, the BreezyClear Pro is equipped to address all the baby’s needs from the beginning to the end of the decongestion process; by briefly misting the nasal passages, the device loosens mucus so its powerful suction can remove it quickly and without fuss.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Though the town is certainly far removed from the hustle and bustle of London, my taxi driver was quick to point out that a number of celebrities live nearby, including the Beckhams, Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Today Colma's cemeteries are a peaceful island of calm among busy interstates, San Francisco’s airport and the bustle of Silicon Valley.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hurly-burly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hurly-burly. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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