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
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Getting Matthews humming with confidence and getting that shot off is part of what the Leafs need right now.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Massive defense spending has propped up growth, kept factories humming, and pushed unemployment lower, while Moscow has relied on allies like China for goods no longer available from the West.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There’s a fine line between obtrusive service, with servers buzzing like flies around the table, and inattentive service.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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Rising high above the city’s buzzing Paseo South Gulch district, Pendry Nashville marks a high-design moment for Nashville’s fast-evolving skyline.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whirring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirring. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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