as in hum
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
listened to the reassuring purr of the car engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to whisper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purr
Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 12 May 2025
The three of them shared head bonks, muzzle rubs, purrs, and cuddling!!
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
Signs that your cat loves you include slow blinking; headbutting; grooming; kneading; showing their belly to you, which is otherwise uncommon in the feline world; meowing and purring at you.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Noun
Her soft purrs and loving eyes will remind you every day that you are adored.
—Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 12 May 2025
The three of them shared head bonks, muzzle rubs, purrs, and cuddling!!
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
In the ’80s, de-graffiti-fying and air conditioning the subways proclaimed to the world that New York was purring again.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
Signs that your cat loves you include slow blinking; headbutting; grooming; kneading; showing their belly to you, which is otherwise uncommon in the feline world; meowing and purring at you.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purr
Verb
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An afternoon beer lends a deeper sense of place when sipped in a brewpub housed in a Victorian-era building, its brick walls whispering stories of the town’s mining past.—
Visit Telluride,
AFAR Media,
18 June 2025
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Macron, seated beside Meloni in the round-table working session with other members of the summit, leaned to his right to whisper a message to Meloni, who stared intently ahead.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
17 June 2025
Verb
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As the performance ran late, Germans murmured and Chinese girls giggled.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
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In one video, the passenger shared a video of a brown roach making its way up the back of a chair from the back seat pocket with its little legs as passengers who witnessed it could be heard murmuring in the background.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
14 May 2025
Verb
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The true gem remains 17-year-old Kobe Bryant, who was selected 13th by the Charlotte Hornets before West acquired the prospect via trade (shout out to Vlade Divac!).—
James Jackson,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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But the personnel department — shout out to them — kind of found a diamond in the rough.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Essentially, the Red Sox fans were chirping the Yankees fans about giving Narvaez away, while the Yankees fans argued that Wells is actually better and that New York made the right choice.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2025
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All around this verdant peninsula on Italy’s Tuscan coast, the swifts chirped ecstatically, as if broadcasting the news: Breakfast cakes are warm!—
Ashley Baker,
Air Mail,
14 June 2025
Verb
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The best shapewear provides support, feels comfortable, and stays in place without leaving you gasping for air by lunchtime.—
Michelle Rostamian,
People.com,
26 June 2025
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Still gasping for air, Saldivar was returned to her cell in a wheelchair, her head tipped back over the seat.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
Verb
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The Bulldogs players began to tap their friends and mouth the quarterback’s name.—
Adam Grosbard,
Orange County Register,
5 Mar. 2025
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Ford decided to mouth his last name at the end, a decision that caused observers to break out in laughter.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Parents recently spoke with experts to better understand how these camps can actually help counteract troubling trends among boys, and how families can make the best decision for them.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
27 June 2025
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But six months is still a long time to remember who everybody is on a show with dozens of speaking roles, most of them played by actors in identical jumpsuits, and/or wearing masks.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2025
Verb
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For a country that lives and breathes hockey, the fact that no Canadian team has lifted the Cup since 1993 feels more like a cosmic joke than a cold streak.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Contemporary Black Paris Today, Black Paris is not just a historical concept but a living, breathing cultural phenomenon.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purr. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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