as in hum
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
heard the burr of a distant engine
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burr
Bloomberg, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
First, compared to grinders like Fellow's Opus and Baratza's Encore ESP, the Philos uses bigger, better burrs.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Jan. 2026
Cuisinart’s Supreme Grind is ideal for someone seeking a burr option with a lower price tag.
—Jack Byram, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
There were so many sensations with me now, like burrs stuck to the hide of a passing animal.
—Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burr
Noun
It’s infused into a patient’s brain through burr holes drilled through their skulls.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
First, compared to grinders like Fellow's Opus and Baratza's Encore ESP, the Philos uses bigger, better burrs.
—Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Jan. 2026
Cuisinart’s Supreme Grind is ideal for someone seeking a burr option with a lower price tag.
—Jack Byram, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
There were so many sensations with me now, like burrs stuck to the hide of a passing animal.
—Ryan Knighton, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burr
Noun
-
The hotel is on a block next to a major road, but the noise is more of a distant city hum than a nuisance.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
-
Both of them suggest the guitarist Loren Connors leading the early roars of Earth, his intuitive way of navigating the instrument’s neck bolstered by a formidable wall of hum at his back.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
However, once the moon enters Aries later this evening, your phone will be buzzing nonstop with plans, updates and gossip.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
Levy says Leap had a big hand in revitalizing this stretch of Bleecker Street, which is now buzzing with stores, cafés and restaurants.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Unlike at Shadden’s, the only mechanical purr is the brief rumble of a passing car.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
In its megacities and beyond, traffic is increasingly falling silent, the dull whir of the electric motor replacing the purr of an internal combustion engine.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The Ducks zipped the puck around the Vegas zone, and Gauthier found a seam pass through the heart of the defense right to Zellweger’s tape.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
The Mayor, after arriving with his chief of staff and first deputy mayor, zipped off a pair of ankle boots and joined the men on the floor.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
In a distant forest, the monument to his reckless fretwork rustles in the treetops and hums with beehives like the watts in a worn, weary amp burning, crackling for release.—
Tyehimba Jess,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Everything is quiet apart from the rustle of leaves and the gentle murmur of voices from the bar.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In a world where most conversations take the form of cautious whispers, information degrades quickly.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
With a whisper of mineral notes, Ford’s was a bracingly hefty gin with impressive structure.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burr. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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