whirred

past tense of whir
as in hummed
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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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 whirred Traffic hummed along the avenue, and machinery whirred at the tire shop. Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026 Helicopters and drones whirred overhead. Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026 Luis was dressed in his hospital pyjamas; his pained breathing fogged his mask while the oxygen canister gurgled and whirred. Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026 The base is a single can of black beans, whirred together in a food processor with taco seasoning or a quick pinch of whatever spices are around. Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2025 The four rotating arms on the Nebulaz ride whirred furiously like the inner workings of a clock — and made less noise than a ticking second hand on a watch. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025 As a drone whirred overhead and hooded people spray-painted the building and its fixtures, the protestors advocated for more civilly disobedient methods. Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026 Off the usually tranquil shores of Arroyo and Guayanilla, beachgoers watched in disbelief as helicopters whirred and the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, appeared from nowhere. Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirred
Verb
  • Experiments were running, discoveries being made, and conferences hummed with new ideas.
    Florencia Canelli, Scientific American, 1 July 2026
  • Eye Patch rocked on the balls of his feet and hummed.
    Will Mackin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • Astrophotographer Efrain Morales captured spectacular footage of China's Tiangong space station as its silhouette buzzed Tycho Crater during a lunar transit on May 29, one night before May's Blue Moon.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 June 2026
  • The crowd at the party buzzed around one of that show’s key players, Lindsay Hubbard, who was in attendance.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • When fully zipped, the stand-up collar offers extra protection at the front of the neck while the hood shields the scalp and ears.
    Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026
  • This secure style can be zipped inside a travel tote or crossbody bag and has enough slots and space to hold credit cards, an ID, and cash or coins—both of which are useful in Europe, especially at cafes where there may be a minimum spend to use a credit card or Apple Pay.
    Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Whirred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirred. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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