swirl

verb \ ˈswər(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: swirl in a Sentence

Definition of swirl

swirled; swirling; swirls

intransitive verb

1 a : to move with an eddying or whirling motion

swirling water

b : to pass in whirling confusion

2 : to have a twist or convolution

transitive verb

: to cause to swirl

swirled her drink

—

swirlingly

play \ˈswər-liŋ-lē\ adverb

See swirl defined for English-language learners

Examples of swirl in a Sentence

The water swirled around the drain.
kept swirling her lemonade until I thought the sound of clinking ice would drive me insane

Recent Examples of swirl from the Web

Controversy swirled around this season, as Florida State, which Miami beat earlier in the season, was chosen to play in the BCS championship game instead of it.

— will mccollister, SI.com, "On the Outside Looking In: The Best Teams to Finish No. 3 in the BCS Era," 11 July 2018
In June, rumors swirled that the new couple were getting really serious and an engagement could be in their near future.

— eileen reslen, House Beautiful, "Christina El Moussa's Boyfriend Posts Heartfelt Love Letter In Honor Of Her Birthday Today," 9 July 2018
Rumors first swirled that they were romantically linked in 2010.

— jeff nelson, PEOPLE.com, "Selena Gomez Is All Smiles on N.Y.C. Boat Cruise with Friends Following Ex Justin Bieber's Engagement," 8 July 2018
Allegations swirled at the time that some lawmakers had been bribed by the government to sway their votes, along with rumors that they were involved in embezzling state funds.

— Washington Post, "World Digest: July 8, 2018," 8 July 2018
Then, right before giving birth, rumors swirled about Tristan Thompson's alleged infidelity.

— rosemary donahue, Allure, "Khloé Kardashian Hits Back at Fan Who Said Daughter True Is “Not Cute at All”," 8 July 2018
Allegations swirled at the time that some lawmakers had been bribed $350 million by the government to sway their votes, along with rumors that they were involved in embezzling state funds.

— hussain al-qatari, Fox News, "Kuwait's highest court sentences lawmakers to prison," 8 July 2018
Butterflies swirled inside his stomach as tipoff approached Friday afternoon.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Mo Bamba shows flashes of potential in Magic debut," 7 July 2018
Questions swirled in response to the post: Was artist Carl Oxley III, who was drawing blue happy bunnies and pink fuzzy monsters on the walls of a railroad overpass in Royal Oak before he was arrested in May, actually copying someone else's work?

— bryce airgood, Detroit Free Press, "Cheboygan has the same happy bunnies as Royal Oak: Here's why.," 6 July 2018

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of swirl

Middle English

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

swirl Synonyms

Synonyms

pivot, revolve, roll, rotate, spin, swing, swivel, turn, twirl, twist, wheel, whirl;

Related Words

screw, unscrew;

twiddle;

coil, crank, reel, wind;

circulate;

swirl

noun

Definition of swirl

1 a : a whirling mass or motion : eddy

b : whirling confusion

a swirl of events

2 : a twisting shape, mark, or pattern

3 : an act or instance of swirling

See swirl defined for English-language learners

See swirl defined for kids

Examples of swirl in a Sentence

A swirl of smoke rose from the chimney.
He painted swirls of color on the canvas.
ice cream with chocolate swirls

Recent Examples of swirl from the Web

Ryan said, when asked about the swirl of high-profile controversies — from lotion-gate to a questionable housing deal — that have engulfed Pruitt.

— li zhou, Vox, "Paul Ryan has no problem going after Maxine Waters — even as he evades Steve King’s misdeeds," 26 June 2018
Just like a balloon filled with lightweight helium must rise in heavier oxygen-nitrogen air, so too must the swirl of bubbles in your beer move toward the top of the glass.

— jeffrey kluger, Time, "Why Do Some Beer Bubbles Appear to Defy Physics? Science Finally Has an Answer," 16 Apr. 2018
The high-energy neutrino reported Thursday was created in the fast-moving swirl of matter around a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.

— author: sarah kaplan, Anchorage Daily News, "In a cosmic first, scientists detect ‘ghost particles’ from a distant galaxy," 12 July 2018
The high-energy neutrino reported Thursday was created in the fast-moving swirl of matter around a supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.

— sarah kaplan, chicagotribune.com, "In a cosmic first, scientists detect 'ghost particles' from a distant galaxy," 12 July 2018
One positive is that the dust swirl is helping raise the rover's temperature; while the rover can't receive heat from the sun, the dust itself can.

— ashley strickland, CNN, "Opportunity rover threatened by giant storm on Mars," 13 June 2018
The observations were tested against computer models of the behavior of gasses in protoplanetary disks, confirming that the swirls spotted by ALMA can only be reasonably explained by the presence of planets.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Three Newborn Planets Discovered Around an Infant Star," 13 June 2018
Passengers could window shop at Skechers and Ron Jon Surf Shop and check out the tubs of Carvel vanilla-fudge swirl or chocolate marshmallow.

— kevin spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando airport's security waits are better, officials say, but there can still be long lines," 25 May 2018
The contrast has been turned down, quieter colors blend better, the swirls don’t appear to writhe.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "Over Gingham Shirts? This Summer, Try Tie-Dye. Seriously.," 15 May 2018

First Known Use of swirl

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SWIRL Defined for English Language Learners

swirl

verb

Definition of swirl for English Language Learners

: to move in circles or to cause (something) to move in circles

swirl

noun

Definition of swirl for English Language Learners

: a twisting or swirling movement, form, or object
: a state of busy movement or activity

SWIRL Defined for Kids

swirl

verb \ ˈswərl \

Definition of swirl for Students

swirled; swirling

: to move with a spinning or twisting motion

swirl

noun

Definition of swirl for Students

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.

Learn More about swirl

See words that rhyme with swirl Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for swirl Spanish Central: Translation of swirl Nglish: Translation of swirl for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of swirl for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about swirl

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swirl

Definition of swirl

swirlingly

Examples of swirl in a Sentence

Recent Examples of swirl from the Web

Origin and Etymology of swirl

swirl Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

swirl

Definition of swirl

Examples of swirl in a Sentence

Recent Examples of swirl from the Web

First Known Use of swirl

SWIRL Defined for English Language Learners

swirl

Definition of swirl for English Language Learners

swirl

Definition of swirl for English Language Learners

SWIRL Defined for Kids

swirl

Definition of swirl for Students

swirl

Definition of swirl for Students

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