kerfuffle
Americannoun
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of kerfuffle
First recorded in 1945–50; from Scots curfuffle, from cur- (from Scottish Gaelic car “a turn,” from Old Irish cor ) + fuffle “to disorder, confuse” (of imitative origin)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The announcement of the “Superman” experience follows a recent kerfuffle involving casting reports for “Man of Tomorrow,” the upcoming follow-up to Gunn’s 2025 feature.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
And there’s a chance that the market’s pullback on Tuesday also turns out to be a kerfuffle rather than a sign of a prolonged downturn.
From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026
Even before the most recent kerfuffle, Musk was toying with the idea of creating a Wikipedia competitor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 4, 2025
Now we have learned there was a third kerfuffle back in April, which adds another layer to the Pentagon intrigue.
From Salon • Aug. 2, 2025
He pauses, and there’s a kerfuffle in the darkness back there, and I wonder if he has some physical strategy for checking the fullness of his bladder.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
