as in hum
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
heard the burr of a distant engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to hum
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
the pitch burred past the batter's ear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of burr
Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 13 Aug. 2025
Then strain again through the cheesecloth as directed above.
Notes: Use a burr grinder or the supermarket coffee-aisle grinder to achieve a coarse to medium-coarse grind, or ask your local coffee shop to grind the beans for you.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
The alternative to burr grinders is blade grinders.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2025
But its favorite mood, by far, is one of mild titillation, which arises whenever something slightly out of the ordinary occurs—a ball flies into the crowd, a baffled bird pecks at the service line, a champagne cork enters the field of play—and a burr of chatter rips round the court.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for burr
Noun
The conventional wisdom is that flat burr grinders are precise, and conical burr grinders are more likely to show a balanced blend of grind sizes—and therefore bring out sweetness, depth, and chocolate.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 13 Aug. 2025
Then strain again through the cheesecloth as directed above.
Notes: Use a burr grinder or the supermarket coffee-aisle grinder to achieve a coarse to medium-coarse grind, or ask your local coffee shop to grind the beans for you.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
The alternative to burr grinders is blade grinders.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 14 July 2025
But its favorite mood, by far, is one of mild titillation, which arises whenever something slightly out of the ordinary occurs—a ball flies into the crowd, a baffled bird pecks at the service line, a champagne cork enters the field of play—and a burr of chatter rips round the court.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for burr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burr
Noun
-
The quiet, enduring hum of a life well made.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Oct. 2025
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Also like Lynch, Robinson’s onscreen world hums with quiet dread, a sense that something sinister lurks just beneath the veil of the everyday banal.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And international editor Elsa Keslassy reports on the media biz buzz by the sea in Cannes as the annual Mipcom content market begins.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
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Other signs of a wasp infestation include finding dead wasps in your home or hearing buzzing indoors.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The purr of an engine was the pulse of performance – until a quiet revolution started taking shape under the surface.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
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Who makes your nervous system purr instead of spike?—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The zip-up collar gives it a preppy-casual vibe that can be zipped down and layered with a necklace, or zipped up with leg-elongating flare jeans and sneakers.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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Just zip them down to save space—no pump required.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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High in the hills near the Myanmar border, Ban Rak Thai greets the morning with the smell of oolong and the soft rustle of tea leaves.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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As Denver’s locker room echoes with the empty rustles of equipment staffers, Jahdae Barron lingers.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Continue reading … DIGITAL'S NEWS QUIZ – What did Rubio whisper to Trump?—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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There were whispered mentions of prison, alcoholism, domestic abuse.—
Rachel Linden,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burr. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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