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
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Bennett didn’t stop, following it up with 17-13-160-2 for 34.5 in Week 15 (but, ahem, a dud in Week 16).
—
Jake Ciely, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
The cast is chosen well, with Mikkelsen — so diabolically evil and handsome as Hannibal Lecter in Fuller’s ghoulish series — giving another magical, very physical performance, and Sigourney Weaver as his, ahem, adviser on monster matters.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2025
Top cities include: New York (ahem, New Jersey), Boston, Seattle and Houston.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
The mop and vacuum combo is equipped with a roller that tackles those pesky spills (ahem, gravy drips around the oven are not going to clean themselves).
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 28 Nov. 2025
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Jake Ciely, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
The cast is chosen well, with Mikkelsen — so diabolically evil and handsome as Hannibal Lecter in Fuller’s ghoulish series — giving another magical, very physical performance, and Sigourney Weaver as his, ahem, adviser on monster matters.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2025
Top cities include: New York (ahem, New Jersey), Boston, Seattle and Houston.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
The mop and vacuum combo is equipped with a roller that tackles those pesky spills (ahem, gravy drips around the oven are not going to clean themselves).
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ahem
Cite this Entry
“Ahem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ahem. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.
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