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
-
Five racks of computer servers hummed in a futuristic yet industrial-looking classroom at Atlanta Technical College, south of downtown.
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Ventilators hummed in an intensive care unit.
Verb
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The crowd at the party buzzed around one of that show’s key players, Lindsay Hubbard, who was in attendance.
-
Poopies tries to shave his face as Knoxville zaps him, and later, Steve-O struggles to tattoo a smiley face onto Holmes' nipple as he gets repeatedly buzzed.
Verb
-
This secure style can be zipped inside a travel tote or crossbody bag and has enough slots and space to hold credit cards, an ID, and cash or coins—both of which are useful in Europe, especially at cafes where there may be a minimum spend to use a credit card or Apple Pay.
-
Make the goodbye tangible The anxiety around a work trip often starts before the suitcase is zipped, which is why some parents make the leaving itself more concrete.
Cite this Entry
“Whirred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirred. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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