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
Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
The Knicks settled on running more offense through Anunoby and Bridges, the pair of wings who kept the offense humming with the All-Star and captain out due to injury.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Rising wages have enabled people to keep spending, which has kept the overall economy humming along.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
The Homestead Image While one part of the farm is humming with the cannabis business, another, the family home and its surroundings, has preserved its domestic serenity and familial connections.
—Colette Coleman, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Verb
Perhaps the future of data was not a data center, with its humming servers and blinking lights, but a wet lab with beakers and an emergency shower.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
The Knicks settled on running more offense through Anunoby and Bridges, the pair of wings who kept the offense humming with the All-Star and captain out due to injury.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Rising wages have enabled people to keep spending, which has kept the overall economy humming along.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
The Homestead Image While one part of the farm is humming with the cannabis business, another, the family home and its surroundings, has preserved its domestic serenity and familial connections.
—Colette Coleman, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum
Noun
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Bugatti/Jacob & Co. Where the Tourbillon V16 engine screams at 9,000 rpm, the Jacob and Co. miniature V16 purrs the seconds away with 16 tiny titanium pistons firing up and down inside a clear sapphire engine block.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Apr. 2025
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Saldana continues, as the kitties all purr in the background.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There are sometimes only images: foggy white drizzle, melted rainbows in a gasoline puddle, pink foam insulation bursting between slats of splintered wood.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
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Two moments were made in his image: Acerbi’s burst forward from centre-back to lead a counter-attack, moments after conceding an equaliser, and Barella’s calmness in the closing seconds, calmly chipping a ball to himself in his own area after Yamal hit the bar.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Nearby, the Linen Quarter and Cathedral Quarter are buzzing with cafes, street art, and pubs, blending the old and new, and British and Irish culture, with surprising ease.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Goma’s vibrant nightlife, which until recently buzzed with dance and pool halls, has all but disappeared.—
Sophie Neiman,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The days before the storied conclave May 7 at the Vatican are not idle, and an unspoken selection process is already underway amid whispers in corridors and cafes throughout Rome and other cities in Italy.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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There’s been whispers all season that if the Knicks lost in the first round that things wouldn’t be the same next year.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Verb
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That’s Meghan addressing her children, by the way, not their bulging one-way inboxes.—
Claire Cohen,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2025
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The $499 Pixel 9a is a refreshing take on modern smartphones, thanks to its clean rear design and lack of a bulging camera module – similar to Apple’s iPhone 16e.—
Prakhar Khanna,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Somehow, this shell also manages to be bizarrely soft on the skin with almost no rustle.—
Adrienne So,
Wired News,
15 Apr. 2025
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Any time a leaf rustles in the outfield, the AI picks it up.—
John Werner,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Explore ancient ruins, zip through the countryside in a sidecar, or visit a local temple where hill tribes and Buddhist cultures meet.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Instead, Tehran’s representatives sat in one room, Washington’s in another, while Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi zipped back and forth with messages.—
Scott Peterson,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Every few minutes the helicopters whirred overhead, back and forth, bringing loads of water to quench the wildfire that burned in Colorado’s Clear Creek Canyon.—
Hannah Provost,
Outside Online,
26 Apr. 2025
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This duo is a perfect modern frontcourt for OKC’s whirring perimeter defense.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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