as in humming
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whirring
The production design closely resembled that of his recent Rolling Loud set and his in-progress Don’t Be Dumb tour, including a helicopter hanging from the top of the stage (its whirring blades could be heard between songs).
—
Drew Cohen, SPIN, 9 June 2026
Clanging cable cars still climb up and down the streets, although these days they’re joined by self-driving taxis, an ever-present reminder of the whirring tech scene.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026
Humming cooling systems, rumbling diesel generators and whirring fans can be heard continuously hundreds of feet around them, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, prompting reports from residents of headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbances, ear pain and hypertension.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 June 2026
From branches above her is released a sudden shower of ash keys, which flutter downwards, whirring in circles, until their wild flight is put to a stop by meeting the water’s surface, where they are apprehended and whisked away downstream.
—Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Cool blue-white LEDs lined the room’s windows, while yellow heavy-duty power outlets hung from the ceiling over rows of desks where students will learn how to maintain the servers whirring behind them.
—Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 26 May 2026
Expect the line blender to keep whirring as the series goes on.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 23 May 2026
There are no air conditioners whirring behind the walls.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Most of us turn to mechanical fixes—air conditioners humming, ceiling fans whirring at full tilt.
—Nolan Lewis, Architectural Digest, 27 Apr. 2026
Drew Cohen, SPIN, 9 June 2026
Clanging cable cars still climb up and down the streets, although these days they’re joined by self-driving taxis, an ever-present reminder of the whirring tech scene.
—Becky Duffett, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026
Humming cooling systems, rumbling diesel generators and whirring fans can be heard continuously hundreds of feet around them, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, prompting reports from residents of headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbances, ear pain and hypertension.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 June 2026
From branches above her is released a sudden shower of ash keys, which flutter downwards, whirring in circles, until their wild flight is put to a stop by meeting the water’s surface, where they are apprehended and whisked away downstream.
—Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026
Cool blue-white LEDs lined the room’s windows, while yellow heavy-duty power outlets hung from the ceiling over rows of desks where students will learn how to maintain the servers whirring behind them.
—Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 26 May 2026
Expect the line blender to keep whirring as the series goes on.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 23 May 2026
There are no air conditioners whirring behind the walls.
—Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Most of us turn to mechanical fixes—air conditioners humming, ceiling fans whirring at full tilt.
—Nolan Lewis, Architectural Digest, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirring
Verb
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Paper-thin hotel walls, hallway chatter, humming AC units—travel comes with plenty of sleep interruptions.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
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Never forget, this place is a cultural cornerstone, extending far beyond the sterile, humming servers of the tech sector.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The Great Hall at the CBS Philadelphia studios was buzzing all day as an army of volunteers took donations and honored the memory of Alex Scott, the little girl who started it all.—
CBS News Philadelphia Staff,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
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On Thursday, business was buzzing, perhaps partly because Brittany Mahomes, spouse of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, shared the post on her Instagram page.—
Eric Adler
June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirring. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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