spiral

1 of 3

adjective

spi·​ral ˈspī-rəl How to pronounce spiral (audio)
1
a
: winding around a center or pole and gradually receding from or approaching it
the spiral curve of a watch spring
b
c
: spiral-bound
a spiral notebook
2
: of or relating to the advancement to higher levels through a series of cyclical movements
spirally adverb

spiral

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: the path of a point in a plane moving around a central point while continuously receding from or approaching it
b
: a three-dimensional curve (such as a helix) with one or more turns about an axis
2
: a single turn or coil in a spiral object
3
: something having a spiral form as:
b(1)
: a spiral flight
(2)
: a kick or pass in which a football rotates on its long axis while moving through the air
4
: a continuously spreading and accelerating increase or decrease
wage spirals

spiral

3 of 3

verb

spiraled or spiralled; spiraling or spiralling

intransitive verb

: to go and especially to rise or fall in a spiral course
costs spiraled upward

transitive verb

1
: to form into a spiral
2
: to cause to spiral

Examples of spiral in a Sentence

Adjective a spiral staircase takes visitors up into the Statue of Liberty Noun The glider flew in a wide spiral over the field. The quarterback threw a tight spiral to the receiver. Verb Smoke spiraled up from the chimney. The airplane spiraled to the ground and crashed. The unemployment rate has been spiraling upward. The stock market is spiraling downward. Let's deal with this crisis before it spirals out of control.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Crafted to infuse any environment with a warm, welcoming glow, the unique spiral filaments provide a cozy atmosphere perfect for evenings all year round. Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2024 The spiral arms of the Milky Way stretch about 100,000 light-years, and the sun (and our solar system) reside about two-thirds of the way out from the center of the galaxy. Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2024 Entering the hotel, guests immediately noticed black and white patterns, from the chess flooring to the striped optical illusions of spiral vortexes, all of which called to mind the intro of the late 1950s/early 1960s television show The Twilight Zone. Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2024 Made of stainless steel, the spiral screw features grooved metal that helps the helix insert smoothly into the cork. Maya Polton, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2024 This galaxy hosts a supernova in the outer region of its spiral arms called SN 2021aw. Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 Our own little solar system resides in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way. Aj Willingham, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024 Voices seem to whisper on the frigid winter winds, and that creepy spiral symbol, which fans may remember from season 1, keeps popping up in the detectives’ investigation. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2024 With its hard-to-miss spiral motif at Sixth and College, Cosmos is a study in eclecticism: an airy, open room downstairs with a circular bar, an art gallery, an upstairs cigar lounge and balcony for dining, and a menu that runs from sushi to tapas. Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024
Noun
The moon’s clash with Mars sets the stage for a self-doubt spiral. USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 The scientists achieved these gains using 3D spirals of reflectors. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Mar. 2024 The result will be an escalating spiral of greater automation and less human control. Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024 Or will the military stay the course and risk having the unrest spiral out of its control? Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Read more Here's what to know about the chaos in Haiti Haiti's spiral of violence appeared to hit new lows in recent days as the country's powerful gangs led a series of coordinated assaults in what seemed to be an effort to overthrow the authorities. USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 The Russian air arm isn’t yet in an organizational death spiral. David Axe, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 There’s always something to send us into a doom spiral. Claire Cohen, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2024 The awkward encounter sent Krumholtz into a spiral. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
County officials struck a deal with Gilbert's firm in 2018 to build the justice complex after the county abandoned plans to build on its own a jail along Gratiot in downtown, after costs spiraled $91 million over the project's $300 million budget. Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2024 The frequency response is, almost literally, off the charts, extending from a subterranean eight Hz and spiraling to a (literally) unheard of 110,000 Hz. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Related Video Baggy Jeans, Baby Hairs, and Haute Couture: Jennifer Lopez Sounds off on Her Life in Looks Fall is not only a season of cushioning blows; a number of designers got really physical, applying a torque-like force to create garments that stretch, twist, and spiral around the body. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 12 Mar. 2024 As the company’s fortunes spiraled, a savior emerged: a16z, whose crypto boss Chris Dixon had been an early investor in the company. Byallie Garfinkle, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 The responding officers immobilize out-of-control suspects, who appear to be going through a mental health crisis or were on drugs, without hurting their targets and de-escalate situations that in the past might have spiraled out of control and ended in deaths. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Mar. 2024 As the internet spiraled with conspiracy theories, Kate publicly addressed the Photoshop controversy a day later on March 11. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 Best travel insurance Haiti violence:Military airlifts American personnel out of embassy as Haiti spirals into violence Are there direct flights to Haiti? Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 Global intervention Caribbean leaders called for an emergency meeting in Jamaica with the United States, Canada and France on Monday to seek a way out of the spiraling gang violence in Haiti. Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spira coil — more at spire

First Known Use

Adjective

1551, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1834, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of spiral was in 1551

Dictionary Entries Near spiral

Cite this Entry

“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiral. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spiral

1 of 3 adjective
spi·​ral ˈspī-rəl How to pronounce spiral (audio)
1
: winding or circling around a center and gradually getting closer to or farther away from it
the spiral curve of a watch spring
2
: winding around an axis like the thread of a screw
a spiral staircase
spirally adverb

spiral

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a curve in a plane that winds around a point while getting closer to or farther away from it
b
: a curve (as a helix) in space that winds around an axis
2
: a single turn or coil in a spiral object
3
: something having a spiral form

spiral

3 of 3 verb
spiraled or spiralled; spiraling or spiralling
: to move in a spiral path

Medical Definition

spiral

1 of 2 adjective
spi·​ral ˈspī-rəl How to pronounce spiral (audio)
1
a
: winding around a center or pole and gradually receding from or approaching it
b
: helical
the spiral structure of DNA
2
: being a fracture in which the break is produced by twisting apart the bone
a double spiral break
spirally adverb

spiral

2 of 2 noun
1
: the path of a point in a plane moving around a central point while continuously receding from or approaching it
2
: a three-dimensional curve (as a helix) with one or more turns about an axis
the double spiral of DNA

More from Merriam-Webster on spiral

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