NYT Dictionary
HOOPLA
/ˈhuːplɑ/NounHOOP-lahoop-la · 2 syllablesGrade 7
Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2025
Meaning
A bustling to-do, excited speech or noise.
Etymology
Origin: French
Earlier houp-la, hoop la, first attested in c. 1877, probably from French houp-là, oup-là (“upsadaisy, upsy-daisy”), a cry to various animals close to humans like horses and dogs, of likely onomatopoeic origin (but see là). Compare interjections like whoop, ahoy, hoo.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle: