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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purr
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Once he is acclimated, this little purr machine will capture your heart.
—Trish Stinger, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2025
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
Signs that your cat loves you include slow blinking; headbutting; grooming; kneading; showing their belly to you, which is otherwise uncommon in the feline world; meowing and purring at you.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Noun
In the clip, Boo lies on her chest and purrs for the first time since her adoption.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Once he is acclimated, this little purr machine will capture your heart.
—Trish Stinger, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2025
Verb
In the ’80s, de-graffiti-fying and air conditioning the subways proclaimed to the world that New York was purring again.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
Signs that your cat loves you include slow blinking; headbutting; grooming; kneading; showing their belly to you, which is otherwise uncommon in the feline world; meowing and purring at you.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purr
Verb
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Other spas boast aerial views or shout about amenities; Shibui whispers, and the result is the world’s most opulent ASMR experience.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
3 June 2025
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Amid burnout, a workforce hungry for purpose, and a cultural shift toward well-being, many professionals still whisper about their sabbatical or career gap, afraid it’ll be read as a red flag instead of a reset.—
Daisy Auger-Domínguez,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Verb
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As the performance ran late, Germans murmured and Chinese girls giggled.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
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In one video, the passenger shared a video of a brown roach making its way up the back of a chair from the back seat pocket with its little legs as passengers who witnessed it could be heard murmuring in the background.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Demonstrators shout and film at police during a protest in the Paramount section of Los Angeles on June 7 after federal immigration authorities conducted operations.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 June 2025
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On Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR made official what the Ram trucks parked in the fan midway and the Ram show truck rambling about the grounds had already shouted all weekend—unless Stellantis has taken up recreational tailgating.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
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The sound of sparrows chirping on a rainy morning is punctuated by the occasional crackle of tires rolling on wet pavement.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
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This ranges from the everyday meowing and purring; to yowling to indicate distress; chattering when spotting prey outside of its reach; and chirping to communicate with kittens, according to PetMD.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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His comments had some in the audience gasping at times, given that the BBC’s role and its relationships with other players tend to be at the center of attention in the U.K. TV world.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
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Abel, who aced his audition on May 18 with six-shutout innings against the Pirates in a spot start, will get slotted into the rotation while Johnson could get high-leverage innings for a depleted bullpen that’s gasping after losing Jose Alvarado to an 80-game PED suspension.—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
2 June 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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The 'Survivor 48' final 5 speak in exclusive finale interview 'Survivor 48' jury speaks in exclusive pre-finale interview Of course, that is exactly what happened.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
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The presenters spoke their mother tongue (Farsi and Hindi), which was detected and translated in real-time to English.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Verb
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According to the GoFundMe, Renna was pronounced brain dead after purposely breathing in the cleaning spray.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
7 June 2025
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The life Jack breathed into ‘Coming of Age’ took it into a new world.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purr. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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