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
Eno Sarris, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The instant skin touches surface, a bright sting strikes, then fades to a low hum.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026
But on the other hand, Amir and Jahan do, in fact, act strangely enough — including walking around at night, and humming in cartoonishly sinister ways — that even the most rational and accepting observers would be rightly perturbed.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hum
Noun
Barco already threw a splitter, but this new changeup has 13 more inches of fade than his split-finger and hums along a couple ticks harder.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The instant skin touches surface, a bright sting strikes, then fades to a low hum.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Back then, gaming gear meant a sticky controller with a frayed wire and a TV that hummed louder than the game itself.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026
But on the other hand, Amir and Jahan do, in fact, act strangely enough — including walking around at night, and humming in cartoonishly sinister ways — that even the most rational and accepting observers would be rightly perturbed.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum
Noun
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Honey is ready to bring love, purrs and playful cuddles to her forever home.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
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For many of us, our truest Valentine has four legs, a wagging tail, a gentle purr or a happy chirp.—
Cathy M. Rosenthal,
San Antonio Express-News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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InSo, a new Southeast Asian fusion restaurant with a hopping nightlife, has burst onto the vibrant Las Colinas scene.—
Zacharia Washington,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Fresh flowers burst explosively out of each cake, swinging jauntily over stacks of vanilla sponges and creamy frostings.—
The Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Offices are buzzing about busted brackets, surprise upsets, Cinderella stories, and who’s cutting down the nets.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
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The air buzzes with light music and the sound of the espresso machine as Victoria Semerei, absorbed in a book, lounges in a chair.—
Eleanor Beardsley,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The leather was supple, the finishes clean, and the zipper for the bottom compartment glided without so much as a whisper of a snag.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
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Addie leaned in with a whisper.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Angelenos’ eyes bulged at the $1,500-a-head price tag.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
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Penn’s curdled facial expressions, sever buzzcut and bulging biceps morphed him into a cruel lethal weapon, but that performance — like Taylor’s — stayed stuck in the same groove throughout.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For Nora Aunor night, the dress was zipped only halfway up my mother’s back.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Bagail’s packing cube set comes with four different-sized bags that, when zipped, condense everything down to a more compact size.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Everything is quiet apart from the rustle of leaves and the gentle murmur of voices from the bar.—
Irenie Forshaw,
TheWeek,
19 Mar. 2026
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Snowy and great egrets swoop across the water, and a gentle breeze rustles the golden-hued marsh grass this region is said to be named for.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a demo at CES 2026, Bluetooth SIG marketing VP Dave Hollander set an unlock distance on a phone across the room from a Bauer smart lock—then walked within 2 feet of the lock, leading its deadbolt to whir into the retracted position.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
19 Mar. 2026
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Luis was dressed in his hospital pyjamas; his pained breathing fogged his mask while the oxygen canister gurgled and whirred.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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