swirl

verb \ ˈswər(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 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

Currently with Italian club Lazio, rumors have swirled that Manchester United might be interested in the dynamic 23-year-old Milinkovic-Savic.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Aleksandar Kolarov scores from free kick as Serbia tops Costa Rica," 17 June 2018
Currently with Italian club Lazio, rumors have swirled that Manchester United might be interested in the dynamic 23-year-old midfielder.

— anne m. peterson, chicagotribune.com, "Serbia defeat Costa Rica on Kolarov free kick goal," 17 June 2018
Over the last year, rumors about Mr. Lee and the behavior of those around him have swirled.

— matt stevens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Restraining order issued against Stan Lee’s supposed caregiver," 14 June 2018
Controversy has swirled around who should build the riverfront concert hall.

— scott wartman, Cincinnati.com, "The Banks concert venue: Today could be decision day," 11 June 2018
Rumors have long swirled about an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off.

— jake coyle and lindsey bahr, San Francisco Chronicle, "In ‘Solo’ stumble, a crossroads for Disney’s ‘Star Wars’," 5 June 2018
For months, rumors have swirled about Drake's possible departure from Jordan brand and becoming Adidas' newest acquisition.

— carl lamarre, Billboard, "Is 'Adidon' the Name of Drake's New Adidas Collection?," 30 May 2018
Questions had swirled about Conte's qualifications, given he has never held public office.

— Fox News, "Italian president summons Conte for talks on forming govt," 23 May 2018
His detractors are referring to the various scandals swirling around Mr. Trump.

— james freeman, WSJ, "Where in the World Was Barack Obama?," 18 May 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

Add lemon juice to taste (1/4 to 1/2 lemon), and swirl to incorporate.

— charlotte druckman, WSJ, "Steak Diane: So Retro, So Right Now," 7 June 2018
These rare earth elements come from swirls of dust deposited during the winter storms, so the elements’ prevalence is a reliable gauge of storm intensity.

— elizabeth svoboda, Scientific American, "Cores from Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 6 June 2018
The 1-acre park will have a climbing tower and ladder, a spinning bowl, spiral nets, stepping stones and more structures over Colts branding and blue swirls.

— amy bartner, Indianapolis Star, "Indianapolis Colts and Indy Parks are about to build Downtown's first playground," 5 June 2018
Southern Blackberry Cobbler is a creamy ice cream with a luscious blackberry flavor combined with flaky pie crust pieces and a blackberry sauce swirl.

— michelle ewing, ajc, "Blue Bell's Southern Blackberry Cobbler ice cream flavor hits stores for limited time," 5 June 2018
Each person gets a pint of vanilla base, then adds flavoring, mix-ins, and a flavor swirl from the tons of available options.

— annemarie conte, Woman's Day, "Yes, It Is Possible to Take a Family Trip That Feels Like a Vacation," 4 June 2018
The ice cream has blackberry sauce swirls and bits of pie crust.

— todd a. price, NOLA.com, "Blue Bell brings back Southern Blackberry Cobbler ice cream," 4 June 2018
There’s also a hefty rectangular coffee table crafted from a single slab of red Languedoc marble, which the designer says reminds him of a raw piece of meat with its russet-and-white swirl pattern.

— alicia brunker, New York Times, "In His Paris Apartment, Alexis Mabille Creates a Singular Universe," 31 May 2018
The subject matter is nominally secular, abstracted from nature: orbs and orifices, branches and seedpods, swirls of wind or wave.

— sharon mizota, latimes.com, "At Blum & Poe, bow down to the ecstatic painting of Mimi Lauter," 30 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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