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\ ˈswər(-ə)l 
\
\swirled; swirling; swirls
Definition of swirl
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : to move with an eddying or whirling motion
swirling water
b : to pass in whirling confusion
2 : to have a twist or convolution
: to cause to swirl
swirled her drink
swirl
nounDefinition of swirl (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from swirl
Verb
swirlingly \ ˈswər-liŋ-lē \ adverb
\ adverb
Examples of swirl in a Sentence
Verb
The water swirled around the drain.
kept swirling her lemonade until I thought the sound of clinking ice would drive me insane Noun
A swirl of smoke rose from the chimney.
He painted swirls of color on the canvas.
ice cream with chocolate swirls
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The report was released Monday as rumors swirled that Adams was considering running for Portland City Council.
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oregonlive, "Former Portland Mayor Sam Adams’ self-funded review of sexual harassment claims ‘only’ way to vet allegations, lawyer says," 17 Jan. 2020 Beyond the barricade, Lemery looked like a ghost town partly shrouded in swirling ash.
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Washington Post, "Philippine volcano’s quakes, cracks send more people fleeing," 16 Jan. 2020 But not long after Deloitte published its findings on Monday, and after several hours of swirling rumor, Valverde was fired.
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Rory Smith, New York Times, "Ernesto Valverde and the Prison of Barcelona’s Past," 14 Jan. 2020 When rumors of his new girlfriend began swirling online, fans took to the comments section of Dog's post with Moon to show support for the potential couple.
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Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "There Are Rumors Dog the Bounty Hunter Has a New Girlfriend and His Daughter's Not Happy," 11 Jan. 2020 In the weeks since the House vote, the Democrats’ case for more testimony has been bolstered by new reports swirling around all four officials.
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Alana Abramson, Time, "Impeachment Standoff Could Be Coming to a Close," 9 Jan. 2020 Rumors began swirling in December when the RodeoHouston genre calendar was revealed and included a March 10 K-pop date.
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Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle, "BTS, Blackpink, Got7: Who will be the first K-pop act to perform at RodeoHouston?," 8 Jan. 2020 Additional allegations that Ghosn used Nissan money to buy luxury homes in Beirut and Paris and that an Oman distributor helped him buy a yacht have swirled before his trial date, which is still not set.
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Clifford Atiyeh, Car and Driver, "Latest from Ex-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn's Press Conference," 8 Jan. 2020 When rumours first started swirling, TMZ reported that Bilson and Hader were seen grabbing coffee in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Saturday Night Live star's hometown.
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Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Bill Hader & Rachel Bilson Just Took Their Rumoured Relationship To The Red Carpet," 6 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Rewriting history is harmful Some might argue that social media is a dangerous place to learn about historic fact, given the swirl of half-truths and outright lies that these platforms allow.
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Brianna Holt, Quartz, "Social media has become an inclusive alternative to history textbooks," 3 Jan. 2020 Reality was droning on as usual, with impartial sunlight streaming through a nearby window and picking out swirls of dust motes.
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Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "The Art of Dying," 16 Dec. 2019 Three small glasses bring icy swirls of mango and strawberry, a tangy guava and lime mix and a respectable house margarita.
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Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "Middle Eastern appetizer feast from Medical Center restaurant Al-Amir Cafe & Grill the best thing to eat in San Antonio this month," 16 Dec. 2019 At Villa Windsor, Boudin created a swirl of French and English aristocratic styles.
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Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Inside the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's French Home, "Villa Windsor," in Bois du Boulogne," 1 Dec. 2019 That money has produced a swirl of attack ads on the internet and in print against Ramey Johnson, a councilwoman running for mayor, and in favor of her opponent, Mayor Adam Paul.
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John Aguilar, The Denver Post, "Pot companies, developers taking sides in contentious Lakewood election," 28 Oct. 2019 Add a few drops of nail polish, then gently create swirls with a toothpick.
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Woman's Day Staff, Woman's Day, "Polished Pumpkin," 9 Sep. 2019 Your first thrill will be the sight of the 'Washing Machine'—a confluence of sea and cliff that creates the illusion of a giant, gyrating swirl of water.
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David Jefferys, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Perfect (Long) Weekend in St. Barts," 16 Apr. 2018 Add lemon juice, give pan a swirl, then remove chicken from pan and cover with foil.
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Melanie Mannarino, Redbook, "Homemade Hibachi Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice," 23 Mar. 2010
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'swirl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for swirl
swirl
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of swirl
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to move in circles or to cause (something) to move in circles
swirl
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of swirl (Entry 2 of 2)
: a twisting or swirling movement, form, or object
: a state of busy movement or activity
See the full definition for swirl in the English Language Learners Dictionary
swirl
verb\ ˈswərl \
\swirled; swirling
Kids Definition of swirl
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to move with a spinning or twisting motion
swirl
nounKids Definition of swirl (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : a spinning mass or motion : eddy a swirl of water
2 : busy movement or activity
She got caught up in the swirl of events.
3 : a twisting shape or mark
The ice cream has chocolate swirls.
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Time Traveler for swirl
The first known use of swirl was in the 14th century
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