as in hum
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
listened to the reassuring purr of the car engine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to whisper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purr
New Atlas, 28 Apr. 2025
Saldana continues, as the kitties all purr in the background.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
No one’s immune from suspicion, not even Kathryn, who has a way of smiling and purring through her answers to anyone’s questions.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Noun
Bugatti/Jacob & Co. Where the Tourbillon V16 engine screams at 9,000 rpm, the Jacob and Co. miniature V16 purrs the seconds away with 16 tiny titanium pistons firing up and down inside a clear sapphire engine block.
—New Atlas, 28 Apr. 2025
Saldana continues, as the kitties all purr in the background.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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
No one’s immune from suspicion, not even Kathryn, who has a way of smiling and purring through her answers to anyone’s questions.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purr
Verb
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Croatia is full of stunning places, but one island has become the summer destination people can’t stop whispering about: Hvar.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
28 May 2025
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So tulips and roses allegedly conveyed passion, peonies whispered shyness, and a white violet or a daisy denoted innocence.—
Lynn Yaeger,
Vogue,
26 May 2025
Verb
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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
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But the attitude of the Romanian mercenaries — always scanning the road, murmuring into radios — gave it away: Congo’s defenses were crumbling.—
Emmet Livingstone,
The Dial,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Shoppers drag pushcarts through dozens of fruit and vegetable stalls as vendors shout prices on loop, in a rhythm.—
Lily Radziemski,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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Passengers allegedly held onto the ride’s safety bars and shouted for help as many reported feeling dizzy, dehydrated, and increasingly panicked as the minutes turned into hours.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Oystercatchers chirping and paddling their bright orange feet.—
Robin Catalano,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Asked about Tkachuk and the verbal jousting with Nylander near the end of Game 4, Domi was nonplussed about the subject of chirping between teams.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Verb
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For anyone who’s ever been on a ventilator, death by suffocation is a paralyzing terror and Carson wholly sells this nightmare, painfully gasping for air and gurgling horribly as his nurse call button slips out of reach.—
Gayle Sequeira,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
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Art flop: When a bronze head by the master sculptor Alberto Giacometti failed to sell at Sotheby’s auction, the audience gasped.—
German Lopez,
New York Times,
15 May 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 billionaire South African businessman, Johann Rupert, spoke forcefully too.—
Jonny Steinberg,
Time,
22 May 2025
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Last year for Mother's Day, Parker spoke with PEOPLE about motherhood and shared that becoming a parent has been one of the greatest gifts she's received.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Verb
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At Bonniers Konsthall, with its low mechanical rhythm and amorphous forms, the sculpture breathes and shudders in a space that feels eerily alive—a shelter of desire, decay, and instability.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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By then, the toxic soup Bill had breathed in during all those months on the Pile were taking their toll on the retired cop’s body.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purr. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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