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
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 place once hummed with thousands of workers and their families, with a school, a day care and a sports center.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Sewing machines hummed, scissors snipped, patterns stretched across the tables.—
Itay Hod,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rivera and Baker were quickly buzzed inside and the two rushed up a flight of stairs after the suspect, the videos show.—
Sam Charles,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The Royals dugout buzzed with excitement as the ball went out.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Also known as wheat kernels, wheat berries are encased in husks zipped along the tops of stalks and removed in a process known as threshing.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Fortunately, the young rider, who was wearing a helmet, righted himself at the last moment, then zipped off down a residential sidewalk at a pretty good rate of speed, based on a video Hall shared on Facebook after the close call — likely with a little more adrenaline coursing through his veins.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirred. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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