Synonyms of whirred

whirred

verb

past tense of whir

as in hummed

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

• hummed
• buzzed
• zipped
• whispered
• whizzed
• droned
• hissed
• burred
• zoomed
• sighed
• murmured
• whistled
• bumbled
• purred
• thrummed
• whished
• fizzed
• whooshed
• cooed
• swished
• sizzled
• wheezed
• rustled
• chirred
• churred
• curred

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of whirred

Powerful cutters have whirred to life on a giant drill that will begin boring a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting Manhattan to New Jersey. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

The studio whirred to what has been described as Aison’s fresh and distinct take on the police helicopter angle, which really hasn’t been explored since 1983’s thriller Blue Thunder. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026

As the machine whirred to life, the film strip moved from a large platter through a system of rollers, pulled sideways across the front of the lens. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Luis was dressed in his hospital pyjamas; his pained breathing fogged his mask while the oxygen canister gurgled and whirred. — Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026

Traffic hummed along the avenue, and machinery whirred at the tire shop. — Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026

Helicopters and drones whirred overhead. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026

As a drone whirred overhead and hooded people spray-painted the building and its fixtures, the protestors advocated for more civilly disobedient methods. — Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026

The four rotating arms on the Nebulaz ride whirred furiously like the inner workings of a clock — and made less noise than a ticking second hand on a watch. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025