BUSTLES Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

bustles 1 of 2

noun

plural of bustle

as in disturbances

a state of noisy, confused activity I couldn't concentrate in all the bustle of the student lounge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bustles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bustle

as in bursts

to be copiously supplied on Saturdays the city's downtown bustles with activity as a farmers' market sets up shop

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in scurries

to proceed or move quickly the hostess bustled about, taking care of last-minute preparations for the party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bustles

Noun

Wedding dress bustles easily hem a train after the ceremony so a bride can seamlessly move among guests and dance into the night. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026 The clubby street-side Street Bar bustles with locals and visitors from dawn to dusk, while its rooftop restaurant, Contessa, is among the sceneiest spots in town. — Andrew Sessa, Robb Report, 2 July 2026 Set the scene Frenetic Sandton bustles with traffic, office and residential towers, and commercial enterprises. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 Yes, this popular New England weekend getaway spot bustles with tourists in the summer months—for good reason. — Kara Williams, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 The downtown bustles with businesses both old and new. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026 Temporary and permanent business closures across Minneapolis Ordinarily on weekends, Midtown Global Market bustles with live music, laughing children and a diverse array of businesses, says González. — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2026 Often an aunt bustles in and replaces a dead mother. — Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026 Vercors Regional Natural Park is on the village’s doorstep and the whole place bustles with performers, music, shows and stalls for the medieval festival held each year in the first week of August. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bustles

Noun

However, existing machines have only hundreds to thousands of qubits, and environmental disturbances can introduce errors during computation.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Sleep disturbances and difficulty concentrating can also affect emotional well-being, and for some women, these symptoms can interfere with everyday activities and quality of life.

— Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of disturbances

Verb

In these moments, the actor bursts through his roles as the Spider does through Reilly, unleashing the Grand Guignol excess that is Nicolas Cage.

— Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Things quickly take a terrifying turn during surgery when a scorpion tail suddenly bursts through Perry’s back, attacking one of the surgeons mid-operation.

— Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026

Definition of bursts

Verb

Inside Botánica Santo Tomas in Wilton Manors, store owner Héctor Giovanni Pizarro Santana sweeps the floor as his tiny Chihuahua, Bella, scurries behind him.

— Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Alicent scurries the great halls, desperate to shore up support for her plan to hand Rhaenyra the Red Keep.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026

Definition of scurries

Verb

Best Time To Visit As a lake town, Coeur d’Alene buzzes with activity in the summer months, but fall is arguably its best season.

— Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2026
Elimar, the ground floor restaurant, buzzes at breakfast with a spectacular spread including giant wheels of parmesan and sides of prosciutto, fruit, egg and pancake stations, and a gluten-free section.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of buzzes

Verb

Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon dialed up more blitzes and two-high safety coverages in the second half, switching from a first-half strategy that was full of single-high and some three-man rushes.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Offensive player of the week Senior quarterback Ethan Gialo rushes for 207 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries during Lakes’ 31-14 Northern Lake County Conference win over Round Lake.

— Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of rushes

Verb

Beneath it all hums the climate crisis, driving hotter, drier weather and pushing the water cycle off balance.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
But the area has history, with an old town dating back to the Etruscans and a tranquil port that hums to life each morning with fishing boats.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of hums

Browse Nearby Words

bustled

bustles

bustling

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bustles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bustles. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bustles

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes