bustle
verb (used without object)
to move or act with a great show of energy (often followed byabout ).
was bustling
-
past progressiveof bustle.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
There, I met Dan, an affable middle-aged fellow with gray tufts of hair, who was bustling around with a vacuum.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
The seaport was bustling, the food exquisite, the Moldovan wine plentiful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Co-founded by former NBA player and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, the restaurant was bustling on a Saturday afternoon.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2025
It was the early hours of New Year's Day and Bourbon Street, in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, was bustling.
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2025
She accompanied Martha Washington on daily errands in New York, a rapidly growing city that was bustling with shops importing the latest in European fashions and fabrics.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
