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
Full of creative improvisations and whirring beats, her first album since 2017’s Halo is both another forward step in her career and a great entry point for anyone who’s never listened to Molina.
—
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2025
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
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirring
Verb
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Meanwhile, the penalty kill is also humming at a rate unseen in Denver for a long time.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
8 Nov. 2025
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Their offense is humming (averaging nearly 36 points per game), the offensive line continues to perform at a high level, allowing very few sacks, and the defense has been feeding off momentum with key plays in recent outings.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Shaw-naé explains how then-mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is dying to speak with her, how the Venmo CEO invited her to some fancy app meeting, all while Al Roker is buzzing on her phone to give an update on Friday’s upcoming dinner service.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
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Best Time to Visit The best times to visit São Paulo are between September and November, when the city is buzzing with events—don’t miss the São Paulo Biennial and the Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whirring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirring. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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