as in hums
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
listened to the reassuring purr of the car engine
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Recent Examples of purrs
Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Washington delivers the dialogue with a thrilling range from purrs to roars, all imbued with an authoritative swagger.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Take their purrs, for example, which are known to vibrate at frequencies that can reduce stress and soothe anxiety.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Murillo’s diagonal ball elicits audible purrs from the Peter Taylor Stand.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
This has translated into freakishly unstable songs that spin from garish wubs and witch folk to lullaby-like purrs.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
But the other people who live nearby may not be so easily swayed by those adorable puppy dog eyes or precious purrs and might get very irritated.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
Honey is ready to bring love, purrs and playful cuddles to her forever home.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Washington delivers the dialogue with a thrilling range from purrs to roars, all imbued with an authoritative swagger.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Take their purrs, for example, which are known to vibrate at frequencies that can reduce stress and soothe anxiety.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Murillo’s diagonal ball elicits audible purrs from the Peter Taylor Stand.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
This has translated into freakishly unstable songs that spin from garish wubs and witch folk to lullaby-like purrs.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
But the other people who live nearby may not be so easily swayed by those adorable puppy dog eyes or precious purrs and might get very irritated.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purrs
Noun
-
Your 12th House of Inner Worlds hums as the Moon grumbles at combative Mars in your philosophical 9th house, making private worries flare when big debates start circling.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Music hums from cars, people linger in clusters, and no one seems to be getting gas.—
Ryan Nickerson,
Houston Chronicle,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Frenza whispers to herself, gazing at her reflection in the mirror with the bottle in her hand, raising a toast to her own intelligence and ironic wit, which are, in her opinion, her most powerful protections against the world.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The linear texture and light-catching dimension evoke vintage elegance, resulting in a manicure that whispers old money.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Go to Settings > Apps > Phone and toggle Haptics off to stop those subtle buzzes that can feel like extra notifications.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
About halfway through our interview, Uchis’ phone buzzes.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Yurov laughs hysterically and chirps back at Kreider.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Wh-what if Donald shouts at me?—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Monday night, in a 5-4 vote that drew some murmurs and shouts from the crowd, the council did not move the request for the money out of committee.—
Louisa Moller,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The remark drew a mix of gasps, murmurs and laughs from others in the room.—
Emily Chang,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Located at the foot of Petit Piton, guests are transported to a slice of tranquility, where the sound of a running stream murmurs in the background.—
Nneka M. Okona,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Deadline journalists sat towards the back of the room said the N-word and other slurs were audible, as were gasps when Davidson made his involuntary tics.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Upon announcing her status as a Faithful, the whole room gasps.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
These are texts that hide their depth under a thick layer of flatulence jokes, loud guitars or Texas drawls.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purrs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purrs. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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