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: a swift or explosive rush
also
: the sound created by such a rush
—often used interjectionally
whooshed; whooshing; whooshes
: to move (a person or thing) with or as if with a whoosh
Example Sentences
Verb
Cars whooshed along the highway.
Water whooshed down the pipe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022
Soltys tugged on a file-cabinet drawer that glided open with a satisfying whoosh, and expertly cruised through photographs stored in protective sleeves.
—Eliza Mcgraw, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2022
The chaos is comforting — frothing milk, the whoosh of the pours, each station in full speed amid the steady stream of conversation.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 29 Dec. 2022
Martha Matlock was checking on a cake in her Keithville, La., home last Tuesday afternoon when the strong, loud whoosh of a storm reverberated across her roof, rattling her mobile home.
—Brianna Sacks, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2022
The whoosh and warble of the turbo inline-five from the groundbreaking Quattro conjures up peak rally greatness and is a brand-defining classic.
—Derek Powell, Car and Driver, 5 Oct. 2022
Then the came the whoosh of a net flying through the air and plopping into the water.
—Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Sep. 2022
Be sure to take the test in a quiet room — the whoosh of air conditioning and the rumble of traffic could throw off your results.
—Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2022
Moments of quiet followed by a loud whoosh of emotion, then silence falling like a curtain, all eyes focused on one person.
—Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Sep. 2022
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Jan. 2023
Lane-Nott says his firm’s bots will be able to whoosh down pipes to service the exterior structure of underground tunnels without operators having to put a halt to the road or rail traffic inside.
—Wired, 13 Aug. 2022
Cars whoosh down Northern Boulevard, and stores are a bit of a walk.
—New York Times, 30 July 2021
At the first sign of danger, the brain sounds an alarm, setting off a torrent of neurological and hormonal signals that whoosh into the blood, stimulating the body to fight or give flight.
—Akilah Johnson, ProPublica, 22 Dec. 2020
The Starship Enterprise would whoosh by, and my father would shake his head.
—David Beers, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2020
Tuesday was the morning Hoosiers were supposed to arrive at work to the distant hum of Indy cars whooshing around the iconic oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
—Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, 12 May 2020
And then there was the sound: the soft grainy whoosh whoosh whoosh of the beating heart.
—Robin Amer, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2020
This time, thanks to a pandemic, the water has whooshed away at record speed.
—The Economist, 18 Apr. 2020
See More
Noun
Start by exhaling completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022
Soltys tugged on a file-cabinet drawer that glided open with a satisfying whoosh, and expertly cruised through photographs stored in protective sleeves.
—Eliza Mcgraw, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2022
The chaos is comforting — frothing milk, the whoosh of the pours, each station in full speed amid the steady stream of conversation.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 29 Dec. 2022
Martha Matlock was checking on a cake in her Keithville, La., home last Tuesday afternoon when the strong, loud whoosh of a storm reverberated across her roof, rattling her mobile home.
—Brianna Sacks, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2022
The whoosh and warble of the turbo inline-five from the groundbreaking Quattro conjures up peak rally greatness and is a brand-defining classic.
—Derek Powell, Car and Driver, 5 Oct. 2022
Then the came the whoosh of a net flying through the air and plopping into the water.
—Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Sep. 2022
Be sure to take the test in a quiet room — the whoosh of air conditioning and the rumble of traffic could throw off your results.
—Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2022
Moments of quiet followed by a loud whoosh of emotion, then silence falling like a curtain, all eyes focused on one person.
—Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Sep. 2022
Verb
When Sarah tries to whoosh it out of its makeshift garden enclosure one night, the creature bites her, creating the most obviously festering of the film’s many unhealed wounds.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Jan. 2023
Lane-Nott says his firm’s bots will be able to whoosh down pipes to service the exterior structure of underground tunnels without operators having to put a halt to the road or rail traffic inside.
—Wired, 13 Aug. 2022
Cars whoosh down Northern Boulevard, and stores are a bit of a walk.
—New York Times, 30 July 2021
At the first sign of danger, the brain sounds an alarm, setting off a torrent of neurological and hormonal signals that whoosh into the blood, stimulating the body to fight or give flight.
—Akilah Johnson, ProPublica, 22 Dec. 2020
The Starship Enterprise would whoosh by, and my father would shake his head.
—David Beers, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2020
Tuesday was the morning Hoosiers were supposed to arrive at work to the distant hum of Indy cars whooshing around the iconic oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
—Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, 12 May 2020
And then there was the sound: the soft grainy whoosh whoosh whoosh of the beating heart.
—Robin Amer, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2020
This time, thanks to a pandemic, the water has whooshed away at record speed.
—The Economist, 18 Apr. 2020
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whoosh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
imitative
First Known Use
Noun
1856, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Dictionary Entries Near whoosh
Cite this Entry
“Whoosh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whoosh. Accessed 3 Feb. 2023.
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