as in taps
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drums
Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
The mom of 4 shared a sweet video holding her son on her hip backstage while the pair rocked out to Barker playing the drums.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
On April 11, friends, neighbors, teachers and family gathered in front of the home where the boy lived north of Whittier Middle School for a late-night candlelight vigil that included song, drums and prayer.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 12 Apr. 2026
In the BeatLabs area on Level 4, guests can make their own songs at a digital mixing board, and in the Level 2 Garage, small groups can play guitars, keyboards, and drums, following the onscreen prompts or staging their own improvisational jam sessions.
—Paul J. Heney, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
The beat, provided by live drums, lurches and lumbers, following the knotty runs of notes instead of setting up a pulse.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2026
Cunningham’s Fisher-Price pianos and decrepit drums are unmistakable, as is Ciani’s Buchla, which whooshes and rattles like a steam engine barreling down the tracks.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
The live music is an integral part of the play in setting the scene, with thunderous giant drums evoking thunder or, when played more softly, gently falling snow.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
During this period members of the community gather at the home of the deceased, where women typically lead the singing and play percussion instruments such as drums and maracas.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Instead of another room with a priest and young woman growling on the bed, the exorcisms in The Wailing are accompanied by chanting crowds, firepits, and drums beating as a great spectacle is made of the ritual.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
The video cuts to Camila, who reads the report outloud as Matthew drums on the bongo and offers his commentary on the report.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Some of the pressure on federal lawmakers is also shifting to state-level leaders to fill the gaps as the shutdown drums on.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
These cues told the robot which drums to strike and when.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
The site in Apollo was a dumping ground for hundreds of 55-gallon drums containing radioactive nuclear waste.
—Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
The mom of 4 shared a sweet video holding her son on her hip backstage while the pair rocked out to Barker playing the drums.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
On April 11, friends, neighbors, teachers and family gathered in front of the home where the boy lived north of Whittier Middle School for a late-night candlelight vigil that included song, drums and prayer.
—Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 12 Apr. 2026
In the BeatLabs area on Level 4, guests can make their own songs at a digital mixing board, and in the Level 2 Garage, small groups can play guitars, keyboards, and drums, following the onscreen prompts or staging their own improvisational jam sessions.
—Paul J. Heney, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2026
The beat, provided by live drums, lurches and lumbers, following the knotty runs of notes instead of setting up a pulse.
—Reed Jackson, SPIN, 9 Apr. 2026
Cunningham’s Fisher-Price pianos and decrepit drums are unmistakable, as is Ciani’s Buchla, which whooshes and rattles like a steam engine barreling down the tracks.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
The live music is an integral part of the play in setting the scene, with thunderous giant drums evoking thunder or, when played more softly, gently falling snow.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
During this period members of the community gather at the home of the deceased, where women typically lead the singing and play percussion instruments such as drums and maracas.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Krieger and Densmore, the two surviving members of The Doors, are the backbone of the video, revisiting the signature guitar and drums parts more than a half-century after they were originally laid to wax.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Instead of another room with a priest and young woman growling on the bed, the exorcisms in The Wailing are accompanied by chanting crowds, firepits, and drums beating as a great spectacle is made of the ritual.
—Michael Lee Simpson, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
The video cuts to Camila, who reads the report outloud as Matthew drums on the bongo and offers his commentary on the report.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Some of the pressure on federal lawmakers is also shifting to state-level leaders to fill the gaps as the shutdown drums on.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
These cues told the robot which drums to strike and when.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drums
Noun
-
One trading company booked a vessel to haul 1 million barrels from Iraq on Wednesday, according to lists of charters compiled by Bloomberg.—
Alex Longley,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Before the war, about 20 million barrels of oil were transiting the strait per day.—
Kevin Breuninger,Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hegseth cuts Ivy League ties in military education shake-up, taps Hillsdale.—
,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Whether he’s fueled by anger or just having a laugh, at 71 Jackson still taps into that same energy on Hope and Fury.—
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While strawberry shortcakes are usually made with biscuits, this recipe swaps them for tender little cakes baked in muffin tins.—
Victoria Spencer,
Martha Stewart,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Launched by Wrigley in the early 2000s in those iconic metal tins, they were discontinued around 2010 due to declining sales.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drums. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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