as in purr
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
we heard the hum of an outboard motor and a few minutes later the small craft came into sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hum
Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
The Knicks settled on running more offense through Anunoby and Bridges, the pair of wings who kept the offense humming with the All-Star and captain out due to injury.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Rising wages have enabled people to keep spending, which has kept the overall economy humming along.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
The Homestead Image While one part of the farm is humming with the cannabis business, another, the family home and its surroundings, has preserved its domestic serenity and familial connections.
—Colette Coleman, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Verb
Perhaps the future of data was not a data center, with its humming servers and blinking lights, but a wet lab with beakers and an emergency shower.
—Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
The Knicks settled on running more offense through Anunoby and Bridges, the pair of wings who kept the offense humming with the All-Star and captain out due to injury.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2025
Rising wages have enabled people to keep spending, which has kept the overall economy humming along.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 4 Apr. 2025
The Homestead Image While one part of the farm is humming with the cannabis business, another, the family home and its surroundings, has preserved its domestic serenity and familial connections.
—Colette Coleman, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum
Noun
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Saldana continues, as the kitties all purr in the background.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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The frequency of a cat's purr, usually between 25 to 150 hertz, has therapeutic effects on a person's body and mind, according to an article from Inspira Health Network.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Coogler burst onto the scene with the indie hit Fruitvale Station before going on to direct Creed and the Black Panther franchise (the latter two both starred Jordan).—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Apr. 2025
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Culture Club burst onto the UK new romantic scene in 1981 and became one of the most defining and influential bands of their generation.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Leonard was buzzing around the net and effectively baited Canadiens defenceman Kaiden Guhle into some post-whistle contact.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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The Temple buzzed with the thrills and demands of serving entertainment and spiritual solace to thousands of people a week.—
Claire Hoffman,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Nab the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones that wrap your ears in plush comfort while adaptive noise canceling dials the world down to a whisper at 21% off.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
22 Apr. 2025
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In Drama, there’s the second season of Squid Game, which returned with a whisper as compared to the blaring horns of its breakthrough first season.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Varicose veins are swollen, bulging veins that usually occur in the legs and can be visible just beneath the skin.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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She’s also seen with her eyes severely bulging, sometimes wearing only a gray bathrobe and without her trademark wig.—
Claudia Rosenbaum,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Any time a leaf rustles in the outfield, the AI picks it up.—
John Werner,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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There are footsteps and rustles — is that a door closing?—
Amelia Nierenberg,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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My 15-minute ride from the airport zipped past fields of bamboo stalks to Rosewood Miyakojima, flanked by an ocean of distinct blues.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2025
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Now zipping Zipline already has a small test presence in Arkansas, a pilot program with Walmart, but its rollout today is a big step forward.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The couple alternates between passionate embraces and domestic tension (an ambulance shows up in their driveway, at one point, its whirring red and blue light hinting something sinister has just taken place).—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2025
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Everything, even the Xbox whirring underneath your TV, has embraced the Netflix model.—
Luke Winkie,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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