as in hummed
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whirred
Luis was dressed in his hospital pyjamas; his pained breathing fogged his mask while the oxygen canister gurgled and whirred.
—
Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Traffic hummed along the avenue, and machinery whirred at the tire shop.
—Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Helicopters and drones whirred overhead.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
As a drone whirred overhead and hooded people spray-painted the building and its fixtures, the protestors advocated for more civilly disobedient methods.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
The four rotating arms on the Nebulaz ride whirred furiously like the inner workings of a clock — and made less noise than a ticking second hand on a watch.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Off the usually tranquil shores of Arroyo and Guayanilla, beachgoers watched in disbelief as helicopters whirred and the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, appeared from nowhere.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
The base is a single can of black beans, whirred together in a food processor with taco seasoning or a quick pinch of whatever spices are around.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Traffic hummed along the avenue, and machinery whirred at the tire shop.
—Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Helicopters and drones whirred overhead.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
As a drone whirred overhead and hooded people spray-painted the building and its fixtures, the protestors advocated for more civilly disobedient methods.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
The four rotating arms on the Nebulaz ride whirred furiously like the inner workings of a clock — and made less noise than a ticking second hand on a watch.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Off the usually tranquil shores of Arroyo and Guayanilla, beachgoers watched in disbelief as helicopters whirred and the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, appeared from nowhere.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
The base is a single can of black beans, whirred together in a food processor with taco seasoning or a quick pinch of whatever spices are around.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirred
Verb
-
The gallery hummed with the ideal number and mix of people—reverent Sherald fans, art students in statement glasses, and little kids rushing up to the massive canvases and screaming in delight.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Generators hummed as families gathered outside campers and horse trailers to share barbecue and beers.—
Molly Hennessy-Fiske,
Washington Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gnats buzzed around the park in the afternoon light.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Hermanos Espinoza were one of the most buzzed about bands at the 40th South by Southwest music festival, which took place earlier this month in Austin, Texas.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
David Pastrnak gained the zone and slipped a pass over to Zacha, who zipped a wrist shot through Luukkonen’s pads for the GWG, his 24th goal of the season.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
This book recently zipped to the top of my library hold list thanks to a recommendation from the late Greg Tate.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirred. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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