swirlier; swirliest
1
Scotland : knotted, twisted
2
: that swirls : swirling
the swirly water of the rapids

Examples of swirly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On the ground floor, Restaurant Rochechouart’s swirly mosaic floor of Art Deco style tiles leads guests into breakfast, and back for lunch and dinner with locals. Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Lower a candle into the cup, twisting it while doing so (the twist creates the swirly design). Jennifer Forker, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Dec. 2023 Make sure the kale plays well with the other veggies and tastes good when raw by selecting curly kale with frilly, tender leaves resembling a swirly skirt, not a stiff scratchy tutu. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 28 Apr. 2023 Ethan shows up on horseback, a dazzling sight wrapped in scarves and goggles designed to shield him from the swirly, sandy wind. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 5 July 2023 Gosling, meanwhile, looked every bit a cool, modern-day Ken in a breezy beige cardigan with a swirly, orangey pattern, layered over a classic white tee. Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 26 June 2023 In your car, look for the button with the swirly arrow on it. Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, 7 June 2023 They’re accentuated with spirals and swirly prints in sandy and brown hues, or light pinks and fiery oranges. Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 24 May 2021 His swirly bun cannot be separated along its seams, however, because those layers steam into one cushiony mass. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swirly was in 1785

Dictionary Entries Near swirly

Cite this Entry

“Swirly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swirly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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