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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whirred
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
The machines whizzed and whirred.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Fans whirred in all the rooms and often the sound of the air moving was the only sound Lucy heard.
—Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
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
The machines whizzed and whirred.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Fans whirred in all the rooms and often the sound of the air moving was the only sound Lucy heard.
—Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirred
Verb
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The nondescript industrial buildings once hummed away largely behind the scenes, powering the various facets of our online lives.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
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The laser-cutting machine hummed with life.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Not only do the four statues bode well for the film’s future, but the room buzzed with good will for Anderson, who didn’t try to hide his glee.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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Visitors must be buzzed in by staff in order to enter past the front office.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Minnesota made a fruitless push only to end up down 2-0 after one period when a blind pass along the end boards was intercepted by the Blackhawks and zipped past Wallstedt for an unassisted goal.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
28 Jan. 2026
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After Matheson’s shorthanded bid was turned away, Charlie McAvoy zipped the puck up to Pastrnak on the left side.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirred. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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