Crossword Genius

Bustling atmosphere around the street (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

astir

'bustling' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'atmosphere around the street' is the wordplay.
'atmosphere' becomes 'air' (synonyms).
'around' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'the street' becomes 'st' (abbreviation).
'air' going around 'st' is 'ASTIR'.

(Other definitions for astir that I've seen before include "Moving; out of bed" , "Excited; out of bed" , "Busy" , "This isn't still" , "Starting to move" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Independent and The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.