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
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Recent Examples of burr
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 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
Conical burr grinders, conversely, feature a large burr that houses a smaller burr, with beans essentially moving vertically between the space.
—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
This depends on your specific manual coffee grinder, but if your grinder uses ceramic burrs, it’s meant for coffee beans only.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 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
Conical burr grinders, conversely, feature a large burr that houses a smaller burr, with beans essentially moving vertically between the space.
—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
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The Silver Hugo for Best Sound goes to SOUND OF FALLING for its ability to echo, in both its silences and thunders, the constant hum of secrets passed from one generation to the next in the apparent domestic quiet that both conceals and reveals.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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In an instant, the ordinary rhythms of their lives — laughter, errands, the hum of home — were shattered.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Days before, the city was buzzing with intense preparations and great anticipation.—
Laura Gómez,
Billboard,
27 Oct. 2025
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Among A-list sightings that had the whole crowd buzzing was Hailey Bieber and Miley Cyrus, who sat beside each other in matching leather looks.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Scientists may have finally solved the mystery of how cats purr.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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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
Verb
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There’s a big difference between occasionally dabbling in a few sailings to the Bahamas—or perhaps zipping about on a speedboat—and true expertise in the water.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
22 Oct. 2025
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But Martin truly shone with the ball in his hand, coaches said, zipping downfield with a springy first step.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
20 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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Just hearing this phrase whispered on the other end of the phone is enough to send a chill up your spine.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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Light incense and whisper the names of those who came before you.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burr. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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