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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hum
Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
But there’s a hum of inspiration to its meditation.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Thomas Swick
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
In late spring, the city hums with farmers’ markets, craft beer events and bike rides along blooming lakefront paths.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Noun
Anchoring the offensive line will be senior left tackle Dylan Knutson, while two of the returning starters tasked with making the passing game hum will be senior tight end Luke Pasquesi and junior wide receiver Jack Burger (4 TDs).
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
But there’s a hum of inspiration to its meditation.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
My wooden Slazenger made hitting winners difficult in the same way that my humming Selectric made rewriting sentences cumbersome.
—Thomas Swick
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
In late spring, the city hums with farmers’ markets, craft beer events and bike rides along blooming lakefront paths.
—Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum
Noun
-
Washington delivers the dialogue with a thrilling range from purrs to roars, all imbued with an authoritative swagger.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Fluffy robot pets that purr for your attention or tell you a joke.—
Joseph Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
Drue Tranquill, a linebacker, not a defensive lineman, burst through the line on a blitz for two sacks in the second half.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
So many balls burst through my hands.—
James Wallace,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The viral clip has racked up nearly 19 million views so far, leaving fans buzzing over the pair’s funny performance.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The internet buzzed when Team Cherry announced Silksong.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Davis remembers hearing the whispers of concern.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Well, the test screening whisper network has said glowing things about it so far.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To be a real man, according to this content, young adolescent boys are expected to be tall and broad-shouldered with bulging biceps, pronounced trapezius muscles, and washboard abs.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
4 Sep. 2025
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The man displayed his find—a bulging-eyed doll with prominent teeth, enormous ears and a fuzzy body.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 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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Rather than go up with his right hand, the Nuggets star used his big mitt to zip a pass through two Estonian defenders.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
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That's fast enough to zip from New York to Los Angeles in under two seconds — and to escape the galaxy entirely.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Every evening, Hofstadter would leave his calculator whirring.—
Lyndie Chiou,
Quanta Magazine,
25 Aug. 2025
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Lohmann was an integral cog in an ever-whirring German feat of engineering that saw Bayern stride into a record-breaking 44 matches unbeaten between December 2021 and October 2024.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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