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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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
-
The laser-cutting machine hummed with life.—
Jessica Ma,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On a chilly Austin morning, downtown buzzed with excitement earlier than usual for a Sunday.—
Aaron E Martinez,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Two drones buzzed overhead, and a chopper was up.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At the end of every school week, Smith picked up his kids and zipped them straight to a Dairy Queen the next town over.—
Andrew Callahan,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 2026.
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