as in humming
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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Recent Examples of whirring
Part of the appeal of drones as hazing tools, however, is that the whirring sound of the rotors is already scary enough for most bears.
—
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025
For Catalans, the whirring activity at the Sagrada Família has become a symbol of their can-do culture.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Every evening, Hofstadter would leave his calculator whirring.
—Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Lohmann was an integral cog in an ever-whirring German feat of engineering that saw Bayern stride into a record-breaking 44 matches unbeaten between December 2021 and October 2024.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
In Season 3, Sydney’s are more pronounced with whirring noises while Carmy’s are a bit more subdued.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025
For Catalans, the whirring activity at the Sagrada Família has become a symbol of their can-do culture.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Every evening, Hofstadter would leave his calculator whirring.
—Lyndie Chiou, Quanta Magazine, 25 Aug. 2025
Lohmann was an integral cog in an ever-whirring German feat of engineering that saw Bayern stride into a record-breaking 44 matches unbeaten between December 2021 and October 2024.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
In Season 3, Sydney’s are more pronounced with whirring noises while Carmy’s are a bit more subdued.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirring
Verb
-
Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins offense was humming early Sunday; the Dolphins took a 17-0 first half lead and Darren Waller caught all five passes thrown to him for 78 yards and a touchdown.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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The set is humming with energy, but Morman stays locked in, switching seamlessly from host to producer, moving with the rhythm of someone who’s been in this position a thousand times before.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The crowd should be buzzing and the ball should be flying at Nippert Stadium.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The 48,000 Yankee faithful will be buzzing.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whirring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirring. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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