purr

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hard to beat the purr of a high-tech race car.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Together, these results highlight how domestication shaped the modern cat's voice, turning the meow into a flexible communication tool while leaving the purr as a steady marker of individuality.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

Even the Pokémon noises are gently mellowed out in contrast to the coarser, more caterwauling sounds of the games; here the creatures purr, cry, coo and sigh like docile house pets.

From New York Times • Jan. 13, 2024

Scientists who subscribed to the active muscle contractions theory believed that when cats purr in response to being comfortable or, conversely, to feeling stressed, they do so as a voluntary muscle contraction.

From Salon • Nov. 3, 2023

From behind the velvet curtain, my lounge singer’s voice began to purr.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides