hissed

past tense of hiss
as in whistled
to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\ the frightened kitten hissed at us when we tried to pick it up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hissed Nineteen hours after departure the train took its final breath, hissed and braked into the historic port of Narvik. The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025 The previous week, Nini had boldly hissed at her from five feet away. Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hissed
Verb
  • Swift’s name has bubbled up as a possible halftime performer in the run-up to what is typically an early September announcement for a number of reasons.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2025
  • All summer long a sense of indignation has brewed and bubbled on Tyneside.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The video of serene waves that swished behind the curved stage at the start of Dua Lipa’s concert slowly intensified until the tide became a surge, an appropriate analogy for the pop superstar’s arrival in the US for the first time in more than three years.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
  • But just as Indiana was on the verge of cutting the lead to a single possession, Powers fouled Clark’s former Iowa teammate Kate Martin on a 3-pointer right in front of Indiana’s bench and the second-year guard swished the shot to erupt the Chase Center crowd.
    Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Just weeks after a previous UFO turned out to be a drifting hot water heater, their second mystery fizzled out just as oddly.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Though Bowyer agreed to cooperate with Speidel, who was pursuing a larger case into offshore gambling in Costa Rica, the investigation fizzled and no charges were filed against Bowyer.
    DAVID AMSDEN, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Instead, employees described taking cover under their desks as bullets whizzed over their heads.
    Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Sirens blared as the motorcade whizzed down Pennsylvania Avenue.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • After the French Open classic, Wimbledon sizzled but didn’t quite hit Parisian heights.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hissed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hissed. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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