ahem
interjection
a throat-clearing sound; often read as
ə-ˈhem 
—used especially to attract attention or to express disapproval or embarrassment
Examples of ahem in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And after doing some shopping—ahem, research—I’ve narrowed down the overwhelming amount of options to 15 of the best summer dresses on Amazon right now.
—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
Mysterious circumstances set Guard free, beginning his investigation to find the imposter, ahem, among us.
—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
10 June 2026
And unlike Ötzi’s long-dead gut bacteria, which left just broken, aging fragments of DNA behind, the yeasts seem to be alive and reproducing (albeit at, ahem, a glacial pace).
—
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2026
Not coincidentally, when Hudnut found a mixture of public and private money to turn the $82 million Hoosier Dome into reality in 1982, the seats just (ahem) happened to be Colts blue.
—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ahem
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Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
Mysterious circumstances set Guard free, beginning his investigation to find the imposter, ahem, among us.
—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
10 June 2026
And unlike Ötzi’s long-dead gut bacteria, which left just broken, aging fragments of DNA behind, the yeasts seem to be alive and reproducing (albeit at, ahem, a glacial pace).
—
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2026
Not coincidentally, when Hudnut found a mixture of public and private money to turn the $82 million Hoosier Dome into reality in 1982, the seats just (ahem) happened to be Colts blue.
—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ahem
Cite this Entry
“Ahem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ahem. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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