whir

It might whir like an e-bike and look like an e-bike, but that electric cycle sitting in the garage might not technically be an e-bike, or even be street legal, in California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

"I have to import from overseas," 23-year-old Dinh, who only gave one name, explained over the whir of heavy machinery.

From Barron's ● Dec. 16, 2025

Overhead, the whir of drones is constant—as many as 10 Russian craft for every Ukrainian one, according to Ukrainian troops.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

A whir of arms, a flick of his wrist, and the ball has hit you before you know it.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2025

Catherine rests a hand on my shoulder as I whir in.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Machinery whirs loudly as a rare-earth mixture is bathed in hydrochloric acid and gradually separated into pure oxides that can be shipped to customers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

Next, Doc’s Rube Goldberg-ian breakfast contraption whirs to action with burned toast and a glop of overflowing dog food, implying that he and his dog Einstein have themselves been missing for a while.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2025

The plane’s propeller whirs, and Snoopy’s head swings around, up and down, scanning for any sign of his German foe.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2023

Sixteen men sit side by side on the cement floor, damp is seeping through the walls, a single fan whirs behind the cell bars, and there is one toilet behind a low wall.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2023

Above us the fan whirs softly, coaxing warm air around the room.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

There was no window or outlet for the heat to escape, a small ceiling fan whirred overhead recycling hot air.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

The siblings’ all-day play in the backyard took on a spinning, rapturous dimension from the swarms of insects that whirred around and above them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Pasta sauces found richness from cannellini beans or chickpeas, whirred until smooth.

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2026

Machines beeped and whirred as my husband laid on the hospital bed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025

As the newsreel cameras whirred, Moch, dripping wet and bare chested, held one of the cup’s handles and Burke, in a suit and tie, held the other.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

ROMONT, Switzerland—Willy Wonka would have marveled at one of the machines at a manufacturing plant here—a contraption that injects flavors into coffee capsules via a set of whirring tubes labeled “hazelnut,” “caramel,” and “blueberry cheesecake.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026

Rising equity prices have also kept the spending machine whirring when it comes to artificial-intelligence hyperscalers’ capital investments.

From MarketWatch ● May 21, 2026

A few scenes later, a pelican switches on a cotton candy machine with its bill, sending hot sugar whirring through the air — seriously — and I nearly applauded in delight.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

A Northern California city sent out police drones whirring 400 feet in the air this Fourth of July to hunt for people setting off illegal fireworks, and issued more than $300,000 in fines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

From up above came a whirring sound like a large drill.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan