whistles 1 of 2

Definition of whistlesnext
plural of whistle

whistles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whistle

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whistles
Noun
While other animals such as rats and mice are also known to have laryngeal whistles, the study says that horses are believed to be the only animals known to combine the whistle with vocal fold vibrations to create a single, dual sound call. Kate Perez, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026 Mrtka was actively involved between the whistles and after the whistle, using his size to clear the net and get under opponents’ skin. Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whistles
Verb
  • The film wheezes through its less-than-80-minute running time, and no one seems all that sad to move on.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • In Whale’s picture, the bride doesn’t talk — only screams or hisses like an irritated cat — and is brought to life 5 minutes before the credits roll.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
  • If steam bubbles and hisses out of the end grain as the firewood heats up on the fire, the wood is wet or green and needs to be seasoned longer before burning.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Alex Garcia’s cheeseburger tartare is a mound of rib-eye sliced by hand into dice-sized squares of meat, dressed in a vinaigrette that zips with pickle brine, soy, mustard and even a squirt or two of ketchup.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • The women’s proposition sees quarter-zips (a key trend of the season, popularized by Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel runway), polo tops, tees and shirts of many kinds, colors and finishes–short- and long-sleeve–with generous use of checks and stripes.
    Alice Cary, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The camera handled by cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed, working with Guadagnino for the first time, whooshes around his subjects to indicate the shakiness of their frames of mind.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The fresh, salty aroma of the Atlantic whooshes through the car windows.
    Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2022
Verb
  • Each shooting star is a tiny fragment from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, a celestial traveler that swooshes around the Sun every 33 years.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Whistles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whistles. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

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