as in purr
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
we heard the hum of an outboard motor and a few minutes later the small craft came into sight
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hum
David Culver, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Throughout the event center, there was a hum of excitement and satisfaction, as if it was filled with college seniors on the eve of graduation day.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The fourth quarter saw Lake Ridge pull away with its offense humming.
—Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Noun
Only the chirp of insects and the distant hum of a generator.
—David Culver, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Throughout the event center, there was a hum of excitement and satisfaction, as if it was filled with college seniors on the eve of graduation day.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, OneCoin still hums along and continues to attract investors.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
The fourth quarter saw Lake Ridge pull away with its offense humming.
—Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum
Noun
-
Murillo’s diagonal ball elicits audible purrs from the Peter Taylor Stand.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
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This has translated into freakishly unstable songs that spin from garish wubs and witch folk to lullaby-like purrs.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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While the football program, which will move up to Class 5A for the next two-year cycle that starts in 2026, has established itself as a perennial playoff team under Startzer, other Nighthawks programs have also burst onto the scene.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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Hagan’s initial shot on a corner was deflected to the left wing, and Cusack bursted to the loose ball to flick it in.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Its small black-and-white screen was often blurry, sometimes blank and buzzing, the programming sporadic or lame.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, endless construction, the Siegels’ lavish (but tacky) lifestyle and their chaotic family life buzz in the background.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Every offseason, the whispers of PGA Tour stars defecting to LIV Golf swirl like clockwork.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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This could trigger everything from whispers and misunderstandings to grudges that resurface in the group chat.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Swain agreed and boarded the red-eye to Heathrow toting a bulging roller suitcase packed full of financials.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Suddenly 10 more heads surfaced, every bulging eye on us.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The cubes work by simply filling them up with clothes, zipping them shut, then using the middle zipper to compress clothes down to a much smaller package.—
Erin Cavoto,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
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Drivers accustomed to taking the freeway to zip north and south through the Treasure Valley will have to follow detours to Star and Linder roads.—
Rose Evans
November 4,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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High in the hills near the Myanmar border, Ban Rak Thai greets the morning with the smell of oolong and the soft rustle of tea leaves.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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As Denver’s locker room echoes with the empty rustles of equipment staffers, Jahdae Barron lingers.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Off the usually tranquil shores of Arroyo and Guayanilla, beachgoers watched in disbelief as helicopters whirred and the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, appeared from nowhere.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
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Full of creative improvisations and whirring beats, her first album since 2017’s Halo is both another forward step in her career and a great entry point for anyone who’s never listened to Molina.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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