whiz 1 of 3

variants or whizz
Definition of whiznext
1
as in whistle
a sound similar to the speech sound \s\ stretched out the whiz of an arrow flying by at an uncomfortably close range

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2

whiz

2 of 3

noun (2)

variants or whizz
1
as in to hiss
to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\ just hearing the bullets whiz as they fly by their heads must be terrifying for soldiers

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2
as in to hum
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound many vehicles were whizzing past us at breakneck speeds

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whiz
Noun
Born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, the young Greenspan was a math whiz who was trotted out by his mother to show off for visitors. Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 22 June 2026 Would Orioles defensive whiz Brooks Robinson have been a great goalkeeper? Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, the Lioness team is escorted through the trees to a bunker-base of operations as drones whiz across the sky like a plague of locusts and the ground around them erupts with mortars. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026 The deputy told him he was not allowed to call his lawyer at that moment and instructed him to step out of the vehicle, where cars continued to whiz by. Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for whiz
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiz
Noun
  • In the dying stages of the game, Messi hit each post in quick succession and then had a goal ruled out for offside before the full-time whistle sounded.
    Dean Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Berwick recalls an employee sending her a video of someone projecting a Knicks finals game on the side of a New York City building and then, after the final whistle, immediately pivoting to a Summer House reunion episode.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The bread machine works on a timer and hums along at its regular pace.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2026
  • What’s next, what’s next, what’s next—that was the hungry hum under everything.
    Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The Wildberries attacks have played into the hands of Russian hawks who urge escalating the war, said pro-Kremlin political expert Sergei Markov.
    ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Roman said the question will be if the defense focuses on their own psychiatric experts right away, or Clancy's friends and family to humanize her to the jurors.
    Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Hoult’s Gilderoy Lockhart a notoriously vain, boastful and fame-obsessed wizard well versed in Memory Charms who is recruited by Dumbledore as Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026
  • But then they’re interrupted by Wil Wheaton, who’s a wizard in this universe.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And in 2022, Japanese researchers turned a Madagascar hissing cockroach into a cyborg for search-and-rescue missions using a similar, though more sophisticated, approach.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Wynn said the alligator started to get agitated and even opened its mouth and hissed at her.
    Steven Yablonski, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • The lodge is usually buzzing with guests playing card games, enjoying daily happy hour, or sitting by the roaring fireplace.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In the now-notorious moment, Rock, 61, made a joke directed at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzzed haircut.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There are not a lot of good places to have a classic steakhouse experience in Oakland – with a stylish and luxurious atmosphere, sizzle and smoke of a flaming grill, true reverence for meat.
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
  • At another kettle grill, thicker skirt steaks sizzle over the coals before receiving a dicing for the arrachera tacos.
    Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • Wafting odors of 100-octane gasoline and rumbling purrs of V8 engines punched through the overcast morning at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday as the Velocity Invitational car meet entered its second day.
    Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 May 2026
  • But a growing body of research suggests some of the most therapeutic sounds on earth are already in your home — your cat’s purr, rain on the window, birdsong outside.
    Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Whiz.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiz. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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