whiz 1 of 3

variants or whizz
1
as in whistle
a sound similar to the speech sound \s\ stretched out the whiz of an arrow flying by at an uncomfortably close range

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2

whiz

2 of 3

noun (2)

whiz

3 of 3

verb

variants or whizz
1
as in to whistle
to make a sound like that of stretching out the speech sound \s\ just hearing the bullets whiz as they fly by their heads must be terrifying for soldiers

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2
as in to buzz
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound many vehicles were whizzing past us at breakneck speeds

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Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of whiz
Noun
Food science whiz and television personality Alton Brown knows a thing or two about putting together a recipe that works. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2024 But history chooses unlikely heroes, and when a robot apocalypse descends upon their party, they’re forced to team up with Laura (Rachel Zegler), the most popular girl at school and a computer whiz in her own right, to save what’s left of the world. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
The Geminids: Considered one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers, peak Geminids could feature as many as 120 meteor trails per hour whizzing across the night sky, according NASA. Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 13 Nov. 2024 The movement to crack down on the hazardous debris whizzing through outer space has seemed to strengthen in recent years. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for whiz 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiz
Verb
  • He was whistled with almost every touch in the first half, something previously unheard of at the Bernabeu.
    Mario Cortegana, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025
  • The wind would whistle through and chill us to the core, but Dad thought the radiant electric heating cost too much.
    James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • While Altadena, which has a large Latino population, was burning, social media started buzzing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was nearby conducting a raid, Salas said.
    Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Only male cicadas sing or make that buzzing noise they’re known for.
    Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Still, emergency officials allowed residents to trickle back into their neighborhoods starting Thursday but cautioned them to be careful as hissing gas lines continued to spew fires from leveled properties and a thick layer of smoke hung over the area.
    Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • True, crowds were noisier and more raucous in audible expressions of engagement — hissing, cheering, applauding, with an occasional wisecrack shouted out — but the responses were collective and inspired by the story on screen.
    Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Despite the political headwinds, the Sunshine State is zooming ahead in EV adoption with more than 300,000 passenger EVs registered, and 467 electric school buses deployed.
    Letters to the Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Amid the continued success of its third installment, Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog feature franchise has zoomed past $1B at the worldwide box office.
    Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The tech industry’s honeymoon period with the US government has fizzled, and both Trump and his successor, President Joe Biden, took a skeptical stance toward tech CEOs, albeit for different reasons.
    Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 16 Jan. 2025
  • But the initiative fizzled after the pandemic crippled air travel, and the contract with BGR was terminated after one quarter.
    Mark Walker, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The three-minute black-and-white clip shows the couple kissing and cuddling in bed, kissing and cuddling on a countertop, zipping around via boat, and hanging out in a very enviable jacuzzi.
    Stacey Leasca, Glamour, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Then Hincapie saw red for tangling with Simeone’s son Giuliano (who, just like his dad in the old days), did some expert meddling, including getting in a scrape with Granit Xhaka and theatrically zipping his own lips shut when the referee had words).
    Tim Spiers, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The team did this by projecting images indicating forward movement when the animal swished its tail.
    Jon Hamilton, NPR, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The monitor called out the instructions, and the exam papers, swishing open at the same time, created a pulse of air.
    Daisy Hildyard, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Carne asada sizzled on a grill at a pop-up taco stand in the corner.
    Ken Bensinger, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • The waxing crescent moon in Capricorn on New Year’s Eve is sizzling with erraticism from Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, along with Uranus in Taurus.
    Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 26 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near whiz

Cite this Entry

“Whiz.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiz. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

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