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
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
Factories are humming again in towns once written off.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
That story, like so many moments in this city’s layered history, seemed to hum in 3/4 time.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025
Think mountain towns that hum in winter and hibernate in summer (hello, ski resorts turned hiking paradises).
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Verb
The airport will have to operate all of that time, of course, and job one for McMurray will be to keep things humming with minimal disruption to travelers.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2025
Factories are humming again in towns once written off.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
That story, like so many moments in this city’s layered history, seemed to hum in 3/4 time.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025
Think mountain towns that hum in winter and hibernate in summer (hello, ski resorts turned hiking paradises).
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum
Noun
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The three of them shared head bonks, muzzle rubs, purrs, and cuddling!!—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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Seely’s voice brings in a slice of gritty wisdom, Dasher’s vocal purrs with sweetness, while Dasher offers up both humor and wit.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Broadcast integrations included Stitch bursting onto the sets of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and SportsCenter.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
25 May 2025
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Some participants carried American flags as children burst through a paper border wall.—
Riley Robinson,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 May 2025
Verb
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This is an excellent time to set out for this buzzing city on Puget Sound.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
27 May 2025
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The past few days also buzzed with celebrity appearances across the globe.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
27 May 2025
Noun
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One legend says workers found fake coins during excavations on the site; others hold whispers of kings, assassinations and shady land ownership.—
Lily Radziemski,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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There are no tanks on the streets or intelligence agents stamping out whispers of dissent.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
29 May 2025
Verb
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After weeks of treatment his body is still skeletal, bones bulging through his skin.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
16 May 2025
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Subsequent scans revealed that the kitten had fluid on her lungs and showed signs of a hiatal hernia, which is when part of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The usual rustles—of people shifting in their chairs, reaching for water bottles, pulling out cellphones, or opening laptops to check email—stopped cold.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Mar. 2019
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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
Verb
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The asteroid will zip by at over 41,000 miles per hour, coming within just 120,000 miles from the Earth, according to the JPL's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
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The film zips by at a pleasantly breakneck pace, never overstaying, lingering just long enough in the emotional moments to draw a tear or two.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
22 May 2025
Verb
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As a three-hour program — Knight opened at 7 p.m. on the dot — Sunday’s show moved quickly, with a rotating stage that whirred to life after each woman’s set.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2025
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The Orb’s cameras whirred for a minute, capturing my iris’s texture.—
Jason Henry,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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