as in bubbling
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
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Recent Examples of hissing
Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
According to a blog post from The Spruce Pets, a new kitten can cause a lot of stress for an older cat, leading to behaviors like hissing, reclusiveness or even a sudden change in eating habits.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
And, that there was a goblin, squatting in my skull, rattling a metal pail full of bolts and hissing failure, rot, spoil.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Warning signs a skunk is ready to spray include jumping, stamping their front feet, arching their back, clicking teeth, and hissing.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Cats may stare at a certain spot in the room, or walk in to the room and start hissing for no apparent reason.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Contractors working on a sewer project on the 4600 block of 10th Avenue at Stockton Boulevard reported hearing a hissing sound coming from a 2-inch gas line, according to authorities.
—Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
But on a recent warm September morning, the rhythmic beat of jackhammers crushing concrete with steel and the hissing flow of rush hour traffic greeted a group of amateur ornithologists.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025
Initially Mila can be seen hissing at Fifi, just for being near her.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
In 2021, scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore turned Madagascar hissing cockroaches into cyborgs, implanting electrodes in sensory organs known as cerci that were then connected to tiny computers.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Steam was rising out of the hissing showers nearby, and there was Josh Allen slumped on a stool in front of his locker, looking like a club fighter from Jersey who had picked the wrong opponent for a payday.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
According to a blog post from The Spruce Pets, a new kitten can cause a lot of stress for an older cat, leading to behaviors like hissing, reclusiveness or even a sudden change in eating habits.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
My pal was in deep slumber, breathed through this kind of hissing accordion.
—Sam Lipsyte, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
And, that there was a goblin, squatting in my skull, rattling a metal pail full of bolts and hissing failure, rot, spoil.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Warning signs a skunk is ready to spray include jumping, stamping their front feet, arching their back, clicking teeth, and hissing.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Cats may stare at a certain spot in the room, or walk in to the room and start hissing for no apparent reason.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Contractors working on a sewer project on the 4600 block of 10th Avenue at Stockton Boulevard reported hearing a hissing sound coming from a 2-inch gas line, according to authorities.
—Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
But on a recent warm September morning, the rhythmic beat of jackhammers crushing concrete with steel and the hissing flow of rush hour traffic greeted a group of amateur ornithologists.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025
Initially Mila can be seen hissing at Fifi, just for being near her.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
In 2021, scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore turned Madagascar hissing cockroaches into cyborgs, implanting electrodes in sensory organs known as cerci that were then connected to tiny computers.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hissing
Verb
-
Bake for eight to 10 minutes, until sauce is bubbling again and the crumble topping is golden brown.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Don’t shake the spices out of their container directly into a bubbling pot—you’ll expose them directly to steam and promote clumping.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Even some in the opposition complained that the booing was impolitic.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
As commissioner Cathy Engelbert took the microphone to congratulate the Las Vegas Aces and crown them the WNBA champions, fans in Phoenix drowned out her message with relentless booing.—
Shannon Ryan,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That calmness, however, was soon overtaken by the kitchen, with the hiss of the pans, stir of the pots and sharp calls exchanged between cooks quickly filling the air, along with the sounds of an upbeat Peruvian song playing in the background.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The first meeting resulted in a hiss from Miriam, but after a few days, the two are obsessed.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Rockets have already started releasing videos of Şengün running pick-and-rolls as the ballhandler and swishing 3-pointers during the first few days of training camp.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Things got testy with the Mammoth jamming away at Korpisalo after the whistle and Nikita Zadorov took issue with it, tussling with Brandon Tanev.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
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The emotions as referee Thomas Bramall blew the final whistle, confirming Wrexham’s first defeat in five Championship games, provided a stark contrast.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For those hoping for something more British, waiters at the Golden Lion Pub on Deck 3 were whizzing by with plates.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The seats move, wind gets blown at you (something that makes for a particularly unsettling moment when a character is shot in the head and the 4DX system simulates the bullet whizzing into your ear), and lights pop on and off around the auditorium to simulate gunfire and other effects.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Anderson plunges the audience into the rebels’ point of view, immersing us in the recalcitrant pride and swagger of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary leader played by Teyana Taylor with a hypnotic sneer of defiance.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In the quarter millennium since, scholars and activists have in different ways done their damnedest to wipe the smirk off his face.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Coach Ben Johnson began Week 6 with a smirk when asked about the position.—
Kevin Fishbain,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hissing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hissing. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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