whoosh

noun

\ˈhwüsh,

ˈwüsh, ˈ(h)wu̇sh

Definition of whoosh

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a swift or explosive rush also : the sound created by such a rush —often used interjectionally

whoosh

verb

whooshed; whooshing; whooshes

Definition of whoosh (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to rush past or move explosively cars whooshing along the expressway

transitive verb

: to move (a person or thing) with or as if with a whoosh

Examples of whoosh in a Sentence

Verb

Cars whooshed along the highway. Water whooshed down the pipe.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

One county technician, dumbfounded by the whoosh of code rocketing across the screen, somberly took out his phone and began to film it. — Benjamin Wofford, Vox, "The midterms are already hacked. You just don’t know it yet.," 25 Oct. 2018 Park goers have mistaken them for the whoosh of an airplane, the thumping of an ultrasound or audio from a dinosaur movie. — Maya Sweedler, WSJ, "Heavy Breathing in Manhattan Park Is Not What Anyone Thinks It Is," 2 July 2018 Then came the whoosh of helicopters, revving up to ready the course. — Rachel Levin, WSJ, "The Toughest Half-Marathon You’ll Want to Plan a Trip Around," 3 July 2018 Fine Arts Museums Director Max Hollein is, whoosh, off to the Met. — Leah Garchik, SFChronicle.com, "Fine Arts Museums brand gets ‘refreshed’," 10 July 2018 Moreover, the Zee and Faith chapters feel somewhat perfunctory, with long stretches of exposition, so that years of change whoosh by on generalizations. — Amy Gentry, chicagotribune.com, "Review: 'The Female Persuasion' by Meg Wolitzer," 26 Mar. 2018 Back on the line with O’Brien comes the satisfying whoosh of gas catching fire. — Kyle Dickman, Outside Online, "What the West Can Learn from Florida About Forest Fires," 27 June 2018 Joshua bent over the cake, closed his eyes, made a wish — a long one — and then blew out the candles in a whoosh. — Dorie Greenspan, New York Times, "The Double-Layer Chocolate Cake I Make for My Son’s Birthday," 9 May 2018 Since Elon Musk popularized the idea in the primordial soup of 2013, at least four companies have seized the maglev tube mantle, determined to deliver an actual whoosh. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "The 11 Hypiest Hyperloop Projects We've Been Promised So Far," 20 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The waters whooshed by with surprising force, pulling him away. — Terrence Mccoy, The Seattle Times, "In a Florence flood, she tried to hold onto her baby. But the water ripped him away.," 18 Sep. 2018 And laughter, that vital survival mechanism, whooshes in like oxygen. — New York Times, "Review: ‘Fruit Trilogy,’ Eve Ensler’s New Show, Brims With Outrage," 17 June 2018 Tracking audio cues like changing engine pitch (to indicate speed), directional stereo sounds when the cars are turning, and whooshing sounds for passing obstacles can help generate a mental map for a course even when it can’t be seen. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "How blind players succeed at sports video games they’ve never seen," 21 Mar. 2018 After all, your baby was surrounded by the consistent sound of whooshing blood while in the womb. — Mary Caldwell, ajc, "Baby sleep: 7 tips for surviving the first few months," 12 July 2018 A Bird scooter is a zippy little electric number that whooshes down the street as quietly as a hummingbird. — Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "Fly On, My Sleek Electric Bird," 30 May 2018 Observer archives To get to uptown, users have to leave the Rail Trail and go along a narrow sidewalk on Morehead Street, then take a bridge over I-277 alongside whooshing traffic. — Ely Portillo, charlotteobserver, "Here's Charlotte's plan to close a frustrating gap between South End and uptown," 6 June 2018 The look was enough to send the frantic breaths whooshing right out of her lungs. — Wesley Snipes, The Root, "Talon of God," 27 May 2018 Air whooshed through the cabin, and snow-like debris floated down the aisle as oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling. — Washington Post, "A boom, a whoosh of air and then terror on Flight 1380," 18 Apr. 2018

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.