as in taps
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the table
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drums
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
The celebration opened with piercing fifes and thundering drums from the Young Patriots Fife & Drum Corps from Pleasanton, as a nod to America's quincentennial.
—
Brian Hackney,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
This was a show for 70s and 80s kids who were born on the electric guitar, and drums.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 June 2026
Family members remembered how Keenan had played football, soccer and baseball — and the drums in the marching band in high school — and how his love of music stuck with him throughout his life.
—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
28 June 2026
Next to seemingly endless rows of bell peppers, sweet corn and leafy greens at B & T Farms stand thousand-gallon drums of nitrogen fertilizer, the cost of which has increased 125% since 2020 amid supply shocks and wars around the world.
—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
Uzbek fans have reveled in the chance to showcase their country and culture, staying behind long after the matches ended to pose for photos as steppe warriors, give away the country's ubiquitous embroidered duppy skullcaps, or just joyously dance to drums.
—
Charles Maynes,
NPR,
27 June 2026
By late Saturday afternoon, indie-rock stalwarts the Slip took the Echo Stage with Joe Russo on drums in place of Andrew Barr, who was unable to make the set.
—
Garret K. Woodward,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
Stamey recently found a rough mix featuring Alex Chilton on drums and guitar that was recorded in the ’70s.
—
David Harris,
SPIN,
22 June 2026
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Instead of another room with a priest and young woman growling on the bed, the exorcisms in The Wailing are accompanied by chanting crowds, firepits, and drums beating as a great spectacle is made of the ritual.
—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
The video cuts to Camila, who reads the report outloud as Matthew drums on the bongo and offers his commentary on the report.
—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Some of the pressure on federal lawmakers is also shifting to state-level leaders to fill the gaps as the shutdown drums on.
—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
These cues told the robot which drums to strike and when.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
But the real pleasure is the 303 basslines that squirm in between the drums, coating the soundscapes of the tracks in grime and noxious soot.
—
Andrew Ryce,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2026
The celebration opened with piercing fifes and thundering drums from the Young Patriots Fife & Drum Corps from Pleasanton, as a nod to America's quincentennial.
—
Brian Hackney,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
This was a show for 70s and 80s kids who were born on the electric guitar, and drums.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 June 2026
Family members remembered how Keenan had played football, soccer and baseball — and the drums in the marching band in high school — and how his love of music stuck with him throughout his life.
—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
28 June 2026
Next to seemingly endless rows of bell peppers, sweet corn and leafy greens at B & T Farms stand thousand-gallon drums of nitrogen fertilizer, the cost of which has increased 125% since 2020 amid supply shocks and wars around the world.
—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
Uzbek fans have reveled in the chance to showcase their country and culture, staying behind long after the matches ended to pose for photos as steppe warriors, give away the country's ubiquitous embroidered duppy skullcaps, or just joyously dance to drums.
—
Charles Maynes,
NPR,
27 June 2026
By late Saturday afternoon, indie-rock stalwarts the Slip took the Echo Stage with Joe Russo on drums in place of Andrew Barr, who was unable to make the set.
—
Garret K. Woodward,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2026
Stamey recently found a rough mix featuring Alex Chilton on drums and guitar that was recorded in the ’70s.
—
David Harris,
SPIN,
22 June 2026
Verb
Krieger and Densmore, the two surviving members of The Doors, are the backbone of the video, revisiting the signature guitar and drums parts more than a half-century after they were originally laid to wax.
—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Instead of another room with a priest and young woman growling on the bed, the exorcisms in The Wailing are accompanied by chanting crowds, firepits, and drums beating as a great spectacle is made of the ritual.
—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
The video cuts to Camila, who reads the report outloud as Matthew drums on the bongo and offers his commentary on the report.
—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
Some of the pressure on federal lawmakers is also shifting to state-level leaders to fill the gaps as the shutdown drums on.
—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
These cues told the robot which drums to strike and when.
—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drums
Noun
-
Fast or gradual, the IEA expects the production ramp-up will generate a global oil surplus of about 5 million barrels of supply per day next year.
-
The combination covered a significant amount of the net market loss, as much as 75% of the barrels that the Gulf exporters couldn’t supply.
Verb
-
Aficionados spoke about how the brand taps into nostalgia for a certain time, even among those who weren’t alive then.
-
The game’s appeal also taps into something much older than any trend.
Noun
-
Cylindrical tins are also handy for storing snacks like chips, nuts, or popcorn.
-
Large cans of jalapeños and taco sauce, tins of jumbo squid, sacks filled with varying flour types, jars of grape leaves, curry paste, pickled ginger, Japanese mayo, lychee in syrup, Mediterranean chocolate candies and a wide variety of ramen noodle packets were among the items on the shelves.
Cite this Entry
“Drums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drums. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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