flurry

1 of 2

noun

flur·​ry ˈflər-ē How to pronounce flurry (audio)
ˈflə-rē
plural flurries
1
a
: a gust of wind
b
: a brief light snowfall
2
a
: a brief period of commotion or excitement
b
: a sudden occurrence of many things at once : barrage sense 2
a flurry of insults
3
: a brief advance or decline in prices : a short-lived outburst of trading activity

flurry

2 of 2

verb

flurried; flurrying

transitive verb

: to cause to become agitated and confused

intransitive verb

: to move in an agitated or confused manner

Examples of flurry in a Sentence

Noun We had a few flurries yesterday. a flurry of activity on the floor of the stock market as soon as the news spread Verb flurried by visions of falls and broken bones, the parents wouldn't even allow the child to ride a bike
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But a flurry of regional bank failures could have just as big an impact as the failure of a single large one, and the Fed might be motivated to step in and prop them up to contain the ripple effects. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Then, as is to be expected in the Game of Thrones universe, there are a flurry of beheadings, horses galloping through brutal battle scenes, bursts of dragon fire, and a stunning shot of two dragons and their riders facing up to each other on an expansive beach. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024 Since then, a flurry of research into the default mode has complicated that initial understanding. Nora Bradford, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024 This flurry of new research highlights two aspects of the same problem: the slow creep of college graduates into jobs that don’t require college degrees. Preston Cooper, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The move also came as Ukraine was put back on a defensive footing by a flurry of Russian offensives along much of the frontlines. Sophie Tanno, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 The flurry of discussions, however, has led to questions about tax identification numbers. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 The House chamber was a flurry of side conversations before lawmakers gaveled in on Thursday, including a hushed chat between McGuire and Huston. Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Feb. 2024 The legislative flurry alone illustrates the scope. Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Oakland stretched the lead to 12 after that Johnson flurry, and the Wildcats then cruised to the win. Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2024 Typically colder spots north and west of town have a slight chance of seeing a non-accumulating snow shower or flurry as the precipitation moves in. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2024 Perhaps another passing shower or two, potentially changing to a snow flurry late. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2023 Additional snowflakes may flutter around D.C. at times Wednesday, but more in a showery or flurry type fashion. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023 In nearly all snow-prone parts of the country, expect higher-than-usual rates of snowfall, with an early start and late end to flurry season. Karla Walsh, Country Living, 1 Sep. 2023 Joe Mazzulla called a rare timeout to settle his team, with a 6-point Boston flurry in the next 83 seconds growing the lead back to 18. Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023 With only nine ticks off the clock, Hathaway and Maroon tangled in a protracted dirty dance — Tevye, some foot stompin’ music, please — and flurry of heavy shots along the boards near the Tampa bench. Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2023 Simple math made answering that flurry difficult. Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flurry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from flurr to throw scatteringly

First Known Use

Noun

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1749, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of flurry was in 1686

Dictionary Entries Near flurry

Cite this Entry

“Flurry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flurry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flurry

1 of 2 noun
flur·​ry ˈflər-ē How to pronounce flurry (audio)
ˈflə-rē
plural flurries
1
a
: a gust of wind
b
: a brief light snowfall
2
: a sudden commotion
a flurry of publicity
3
: a brief outburst of activity
a flurry of trading in the stock exchange

flurry

2 of 2 verb
flurried; flurrying
: to become or cause to become agitated and confused

More from Merriam-Webster on flurry

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