as in taps
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of drums
Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Featuring Steven Bernstein on brass, Kenny Wollesen on drums and percussion, Douglas Wieselman on winds and guitar, Briggan Krauss on saxophone and guitar, and Tony Scherr on bass, these arrangements are more muscular and robust than many of their original incarnations.
—David Harris, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Jon Stewart served as host for the night, which got off to a fast start as Kevin Nealon drew a portrait of a woman from the crowd and Jimmy Kimmel (on the bass clarinet), Conan O’Brien (on the guitar) and Stewart (on the drums) jammed out on stage with Love on the Spectrum star Abbey Lutes.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Almost everything sounds great, but the constant patter of the drums, which falls into the boosted bass range, feels more like a battering.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
There is still an organ, but there is a set of drums on the altar.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
The main musical attractions were the B-52s, Devo, Danny Elfman and Puddles Pity Party, taking turns fronting a 10-piece big band led by Mark Mothersbaugh — and with Fred Armisen on drums — that nimbly navigated between exotica and some fairly fierce garage-rock.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 May 2026
The band members are Kris Bergmann on vocals, John Murphy on vocals and keyboards, Andrew Sage on vocals and guitar, Michael Schomaker on guitar, Dave Bell on bass and Mike Racer on drums.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
The Nuremberg rallies were simply political stage plays, with music from Wagner, drums, symmetrical marching formations, red flags, and gatherings often held in darkness to heighten the mood.
—Literary Hub, 27 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
JWords takes a different tack on Sound Therapy, embracing gentle synth melodies and pads that take the edge off her skittering drums and pounding basslines.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Featuring Steven Bernstein on brass, Kenny Wollesen on drums and percussion, Douglas Wieselman on winds and guitar, Briggan Krauss on saxophone and guitar, and Tony Scherr on bass, these arrangements are more muscular and robust than many of their original incarnations.
—David Harris, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Jon Stewart served as host for the night, which got off to a fast start as Kevin Nealon drew a portrait of a woman from the crowd and Jimmy Kimmel (on the bass clarinet), Conan O’Brien (on the guitar) and Stewart (on the drums) jammed out on stage with Love on the Spectrum star Abbey Lutes.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Almost everything sounds great, but the constant patter of the drums, which falls into the boosted bass range, feels more like a battering.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
There is still an organ, but there is a set of drums on the altar.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
The main musical attractions were the B-52s, Devo, Danny Elfman and Puddles Pity Party, taking turns fronting a 10-piece big band led by Mark Mothersbaugh — and with Fred Armisen on drums — that nimbly navigated between exotica and some fairly fierce garage-rock.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 7 May 2026
The band members are Kris Bergmann on vocals, John Murphy on vocals and keyboards, Andrew Sage on vocals and guitar, Michael Schomaker on guitar, Dave Bell on bass and Mike Racer on drums.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
The Nuremberg rallies were simply political stage plays, with music from Wagner, drums, symmetrical marching formations, red flags, and gatherings often held in darkness to heighten the mood.
—Literary Hub, 27 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
-
Clynelish 1983 is another 42-year-old whisky, aged entirely in bourbon barrels resulting in big tropical fruit notes like pineapple and mango, along with honey and vanilla.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
7 May 2026
-
Valero’s Pembroke refinery in the United Kingdom processes 270,000 barrels per day to produce gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined products.—
Robert Romano,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The jelly tote bag taps that same translucent, glossy finish, but with a more elevated, everyday feel.—
Casey DelBasso,
ABC News,
7 May 2026
-
Highway To Heaven taps into the current popularity of feel-good programming.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The tins next move down a conveyor belt system, where the liquid cools and hardens before the tins are capped and shrink-wrapped.—
Gabriella Fine,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The magnetic tins stack neatly or stick to your fridge for convenient storage.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drums. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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