as in to tap
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 drum
Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
After the vinegar cycle completes, sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda directly into the drum.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
DeJesus is the daughter of the halau’s founder, Ruth Nalua Manaois, known as Auntie Nalua, and the halau is a family enterprise – deJesus’ son Noah also teaches drumming at the halau.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drum
Noun
Surgeons pull the sagging face of a woman taut as a drum, perhaps a reference to the Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner’s notorious 2025 facelift.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
After the vinegar cycle completes, sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda directly into the drum.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
There’s an abundance of intricate riffs, hypnotic solo passages and wickedly tight drumming to be found on this LP.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
DeJesus is the daughter of the halau’s founder, Ruth Nalua Manaois, known as Auntie Nalua, and the halau is a family enterprise – deJesus’ son Noah also teaches drumming at the halau.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for drum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drum
Noun
-
About 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, according to data from market intelligence firm Kpler, accounting for nearly a third of global seaborne crude flows.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And she’s been on a loafer kick, no pun intended, for a minute, pairing slip-ons with barrel jeans for date night.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The first-stage booster that had been tapped during the original attempts was discarded for a new booster.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Strong antivirus software can help block malicious links and scam sites if one is tapped accidentally, but the safest move is to ignore the message entirely.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Add ice, seal tins and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Agitators were seen blowing whistles, banging pots and pans, shaking metal barricades and striking the rails set up outside the property.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
My ten-year-old granddaughter was marching and banging her little saucepan with a salad spoon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This same level of access extends to Milan’s cultural, bucket-list icons.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Of course the main lobby restaurant, Le Jardin, which has icy buckets chilling wine and the near-constant scent of truffles in the air during its 24-hour service, is always packed.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drum. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
