as in hum
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
listened to the reassuring purr of the car engine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to whisper
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of purr
Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
And your cat will absolutely join you, probably propping themselves right on your back and purring you into a lulled, wonderfully peaceful nap.
—Mallory Arnold, Outside Online, 25 May 2025
Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Cats are believed to purr for various reasons, from expressive contentment and self-soothing to even helping promote bone regeneration and heal fractures.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Noun
The findings supported the hypothesis that a genetic basis exists for both purring and other forms of vocal communication in cats.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
And your cat will absolutely join you, probably propping themselves right on your back and purring you into a lulled, wonderfully peaceful nap.
—Mallory Arnold, Outside Online, 25 May 2025
Verb
Baldwin’s husky purr of a voice sets the table for the events of the film, before settling back to pop in every now and then with an omniscient insight or unspoken truth.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Cats are believed to purr for various reasons, from expressive contentment and self-soothing to even helping promote bone regeneration and heal fractures.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purr
Verb
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It will be whispered but never spoken aloud lest too many clients will be alienated.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
13 July 2025
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Surfers began whispering about the good surf brought on by the area’s sometimes harsh weather in recent years.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
12 July 2025
Verb
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And the Niagara still only gently murmured, sweeping us grandly, slowly onward down its channel.—
Charles Hammer,
Kansas City Star,
23 July 2025
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Debates raged on about the worthiness of firing the head coach after leading the team to an Eastern Conference Finals run, and the fans murmured over who would eventually take his place.—
Tom Rende,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Verb
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There was a man shouting the opening lyrics of each song as his kids rolled their eyes behind me.—
Courtney Devores,
Charlotte Observer,
28 July 2025
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Every twenty or thirty feet, a hawker would shout and cross the street to shake my hand, or step away from a storefront and fall in beside me.—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Before the wake-up birds start chirping, my body senses the light and emerges from the deepest levels of sleep to something more agreeable to the idea of waking up.—
Gwen Rockwood,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
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Incredible natural wildlife sightings are a daily occurrence on the property, often leading guests to spot stingrays bopping in the water along the shores, turtles finding secluded spots to nest amongst the sand and birds chirping from the palm trees.—
Rachel Dube,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Onlookers gasped and seemed confused about what had happened.—
Sofia Joseph,
jsonline.com,
16 July 2025
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If the person is not breathing or only gasping, CPR should begin immediately.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The Bulldogs players began to tap their friends and mouth the quarterback’s name.—
Adam Grosbard,
Orange County Register,
5 Mar. 2025
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Ford decided to mouth his last name at the end, a decision that caused observers to break out in laughter.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian spoke earlier that day in Atlanta’s College Football Hall of Fame about their recruiting philosophies in the age of player revenue sharing and schools allocating a big chunk of that $20.5 million to football.—
Marc Weiszer,
The Tennessean,
22 July 2025
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Journalists also became less able to speak truth to power through a number of trends, some involving liability.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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And fans can breathe easy, at least for a little while.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
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School programs ‘can breathe a little easier’ Despite the uncertainty, California officials viewed the move as a victory.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purr. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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