swirl

play

verb \ ˈswər(-ə)l \

Definition of swirl

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

What Martin saw was a whirlwind, an area of swirling air that spun in a vortex over the water's surface.

— todd masson, NOLA.com, "Port Sulphur angler captures closeup video of strange weather phenomenon," 30 Aug. 2017
Morales has strenuously denied any wrongdoing, and rumors swirled last week that Morales’ visit to U.N. headquarters in New York was to get rid of the commission’s head, Ivan Velasquez.

— Washington Post, "Guatemala’s president plunges into constitutional crisis," 28 Aug. 2017
Morales has strenuously denied any wrongdoing, and rumors swirled last week that Morales’ visit to U.N. headquarters in New York was to get rid of the commission’s head, Ivan Velasquez.

— Washington Post, "Guatemala’s president plunges into constitutional crisis," 28 Aug. 2017
Morales has strenuously denied any wrongdoing, and rumors swirled last week that Morales’ visit to U.N. headquarters in New York was to get rid of the commission’s head, Ivan Velasquez.

— christopher sherman, The Seattle Times, "Guatemala’s president plunges into constitutional crisis," 27 Aug. 2017
In the heat and stench and swirling dust, Abosh quietly stared at the bodies before the workers spirited them away.

— chicagotribune.com, "After 'victory' over ISIS, Mosul discovers the cost: Homes were turned into graves," 23 Aug. 2017
This addition is always done slowly and o the heat, swirling the pan for emulsication (this is called mounting).

— francine maroukian, Popular Mechanics, "The Two Ways To Cook Meat Perfectly Every Time," 18 Aug. 2017
Mix a drop of the shampoo and a little water into the palm of your hand, and begin swirling the brush head into the mixture to work up a lather.

— brooke shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "4 Easy Steps for Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes That Every Lazy Girl Needs to Know," 18 Aug. 2017
Located about 550 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, the system became better organized overnight with more telltale swirling circulation.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Tropical cyclone expected Thursday from wave nearing Caribbean," 17 Aug. 2017

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

See Words from the same year

swirl Synonyms

Synonyms

agitate, churn, stir, wash, whirl

Related Words

beat, paddle, whip, whisk; reel, shake, wheel

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

Two somehow escape through the swirl of trumpets, mellophones and clarinets.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "The little program that could," 11 Aug. 2017
These strange swirls and symbols are said to represent the ability of the children to work together alongside man to defeat their common enemy, the White Walkers—an idea Jon recently used in his favor to win Dany over.

— chanel vargas, Harper's BAZAAR, "Who Are the Children of the Forest on Game of Thrones?," 9 Aug. 2017
So expect a swirl of anxiety in your first batch of ice cream, with possible chunks of doubt.

— Popular Mechanics, "How to Make Ice Cream," 4 Aug. 2017
But when a simple swirl of frosting just won't do, take your dessert to the next level with these creative designs.

— stephanie shore fisher, Good Housekeeping, "How to Create 5 Fun Frosting Designs With Piping Tips," 28 July 2017
Those swirls in the horse hair are a sign of contentment.

— diane bell, sandiegouniontribune.com, "On and off the track: horses and hidden attractions at Del Mar," 19 July 2017
Suddenly, from the swirl of bodies, shimmering in the pool lights, another couple appeared before them.

— davy rothbart, GQ, "Inside the Clothing-Optional Resort of Your Swinging Dreams," 18 July 2017
So order an Old Fashioned and pull up a stool at The Hound, another haven for grown-ups surrounded by the swirl of hormones on campus.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in Auburn," 30 June 2017
Think lemon-strawberry swirl ice cream on lavender shortbread cookies and ricotta chocolate chip ice cream on original shortbread.

— lauren delgado, Orlando Signature, "Ice Cream Shops Serving Unexpected Icy Treats," 23 June 2017

First Known Use of swirl

15th century

SWIRL Defined for English Language Learners

swirl

play

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

play

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

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swirlingly

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swirl

Definition of swirl

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SWIRL Defined for English Language Learners

swirl

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swirl

Definition of swirl for English Language Learners

SWIRL Defined for Kids

swirl

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swirl

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