variants
also whirrs
as in hums
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
a whir coming from the refrigerator
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also whirrs
as in buzzes
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of whirs
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Apr. 2026
Vonn posted a video on Friday night, in a hospital gown with monitors on her chest and the beeps and whirs from her room serving as a sort of mundane soundtrack.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
As the documentary opens, insect whirs and faint helicopter chuf-chufs mix with a choral hymn.
—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Her vocals drift on the fluttery synth that swells as the bass whirs.
—
Pitchfork,
10 Dec. 2025
A lot of this stuff follows the same thread, often steeped in vintage synth drones, whirrs, and buzzes that evoke the turn-of-the-Eighties sci-fi futurism the first TRON movie embodied back in 1982.
—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
19 Sep. 2025
It’s composed of plastic storage drawers embedded with speakers that emit jarring rumbles and whirs.
—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
3 Sep. 2019
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
This vast bundle of life and existence whirrs continually, creating the comforting harmonic tone that defines this place.
—
Stephen Trimble,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
Woo walked slowly across the room, using a walker to stabilize his upper body, his steps a symphony of clunks and creaks and whirs.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Apr. 2026
Vonn posted a video on Friday night, in a hospital gown with monitors on her chest and the beeps and whirs from her room serving as a sort of mundane soundtrack.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
As the documentary opens, insect whirs and faint helicopter chuf-chufs mix with a choral hymn.
—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Her vocals drift on the fluttery synth that swells as the bass whirs.
—
Pitchfork,
10 Dec. 2025
A lot of this stuff follows the same thread, often steeped in vintage synth drones, whirrs, and buzzes that evoke the turn-of-the-Eighties sci-fi futurism the first TRON movie embodied back in 1982.
—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
19 Sep. 2025
It’s composed of plastic storage drawers embedded with speakers that emit jarring rumbles and whirs.
—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
The machine whirs to life, the smell of hot plastic slowly seeping into the air.
—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
This vast bundle of life and existence whirrs continually, creating the comforting harmonic tone that defines this place.
—
Stephen Trimble,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirs
Noun
-
The town's hospital hums with constant activity, marking the scale of the outbreak in the town.
-
The household hums with collective energy and vibrates with handiwork, intention, love.
Verb
-
Every once in a while, a player buzzes in with an answer that truly catches fans off-guard.
-
So when something goes on in markets that inspires exuberance or fear, my phone buzzes.
Noun
-
Wafting odors of 100-octane gasoline and rumbling purrs of V8 engines punched through the overcast morning at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday as the Velocity Invitational car meet entered its second day.
-
Honey is ready to bring love, purrs and playful cuddles to her forever home.
Verb
-
Not to mention, your toiletry bag ends up far less chaotic and actually zips without a fight.
-
But the few times they’re forced to play their hurt feelings sincerely are as forced as the moment when Grace zips her gory wedding gown back on before it’s even been washed.
Cite this Entry
“Whirs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirs. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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