How to Use strum in a Sentence

strum

1 of 2 noun
  • Feel free to bring your ukulele and strum along to Beatles songs.
    — Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The models showcased the collection to the strums of Bossa nova.
    — Blue Carreon, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • The two had strum-thing special on the Tunnel of Love tour in the summer of 1988.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
  • Dean Blunt-like guitar strums establish calm before the storm, which arrives with a waltzing rhythm suitable for a first dance.
    — Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Karla Brustad has put on sing-alongs, strum alongs, hootenannies and all sorts of free community jams, getting folks singing and playing the ukulele.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Your left hand gets a 7-bar pad with 14 customizable assignments, while your right hand uses a pick-style strum knob with a dynamic up-down response.
    — New Atlas, 21 June 2026
  • Some of the guitarists strum it backstage or outside of a performance area, but others have actually incorporated into live shows.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 17 Aug. 2025
  • The song may be six minutes long, but the circuitous lope of his acoustic-guitar strum and low throb of his warbling feel eternal, like the type of tune Sisyphus might have hummed to keep himself company.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
  • As the sun sets, the fruit bats swoop among the trees as couples and young families lounge on large poolside cabanas, downing languid cocktails and listening to live guitar strums before heading for a casual dinner.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
  • As the Argentinian-Swedish artist sings about philosophy, nature, and human nature, his pastoral guitar strums will relieve as much stress as an afternoon of forest-bathing.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The lighthearted and bouncy guitar strums of the track are later embellished with UMI’s fluid Japanese rap interlude.
    — Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Marcus Mumford channeled Gracie Abrams‘ guitar strums and vocals while visiting the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.
    — Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025

strum

2 of 2 verb
  • He strummed a tune on the guitar.
  • Learn chords on the ukulele and strum along to some favorite songs.
    — Mary Lou Cruz, sun-sentinel.com, 4 Oct. 2021
  • Wendy came to sing and strum her battered guitar.
    — Allegra Goodman, Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The man handling our caller strummed it again.
    — Delbert L. Chears, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Linda’s words strummed the truth of my being.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • Bring your uke for an evening of strumming, singing and just having a good time.
    — cleveland, 11 Oct. 2019
  • The town got its first place to hang out, sit with a laptop or strum a guitar.
    — Calvin Woodward, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Jan. 2022
  • Mark croons and strums campfire acoustic.
    — Jonathan Terrell, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Schneider sometimes hears her up in her room, singing and strumming her ukulele.
    — Scottie Andrew, CNN, 16 Apr. 2020
  • Singer Guilherme Guimarães, who leads it, croons and strums along the way.
    — Rafael Tonon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Two quickly strummed guitar chords rocked back and forth, as tight, peppy drums kept time.
    — David Obuchowski, Longreads, 30 July 2019
  • In the clip, Robert instructs his niece on where to place her tiny hands to strum the guitar.
    — Naledi Ushe, PEOPLE.com, 30 Sep. 2021
  • Meanwhile, his left hand played the lower keys as if strumming a rhythm guitar.
    — WSJ, 14 Aug. 2018
  • After storytime, a singer stepped in, picked up a ukulele and began to strum.
    — Dallas News, 19 Nov. 2022
  • Shelton was content to pass the break idly strumming his guitar.
    — Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE.com, 14 Nov. 2019
  • His Snider strums the guitar, takes arty nudes, and fashions flowers out of wood.
    — Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
  • For years at parties, Naderi would pick up an acoustic guitar and strum a tune or two.
    — Matt Wake | [email protected], al, 21 July 2022
  • Ryan taught himself chords, wrote lyrics, and figured out strumming patterns.
    — Jeremy Hallock, star-telegram, 20 June 2018
  • Barker was pictured looking over at his son as the two strummed along together.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Barker was pictured looking over at his son as the two strummed along together.
    — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
  • To many, Kerr was like a rich guy strumming his ukulele in the back seat while his cat drives the limo down the freeway.
    — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Feb. 2018
  • Or strum on an electric guitar, play the drums or sing in a recording studio to make your own music.
    — Annie Nickoloff, cleveland, 14 July 2022
  • Kevin Bacon played an acoustic version of the remix, and used an ear of corn to strum along to the catchy beat.
    — Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 6 Jan. 2023
  • Two teenage boys sat chatting with their parents, the father strumming a guitar.
    — Lila Battis, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2023
  • Duffy noted that his grandfather strums the guitar and sings to his wife of 63 years.
    — Pete Grathoff, kansascity, 20 Apr. 2018
  • Swift was alone onstage, strumming her acoustic guitar.
    — Joe Garcia, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Here’s a list of our favorite starter guitars to get your little one plucking and strumming chords in no time.
    — Popular Science, 21 Jan. 2020
  • But joyless, the band, once able to swivel and wave and strum with ease, groaned hydraulically.
    — Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, 9 Feb. 2018
  • And while these newborns may not be penning love songs or strumming guitar chords yet, the play dates have commenced.
    — Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2018
  • The score is a comical barrage of harp strums, as if heaven’s angels have gotten good and drunk.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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