swirled; swirling; swirls
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
: to cause to swirl
swirled her drink
Examples of swirl in a Sentence
Verb
The water swirled around the drain.
kept swirling her lemonade until the ice had melted and it was completely watered down
Noun
A swirl of smoke rose from the chimney.
He painted swirls of color on the canvas.
ice cream with chocolate swirls
Recent Examples on the Web
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Rumors have been swirling this week in Milan that Permira is looking to exit the brand, with interested parties reportedly including the Chinese fund Hongshan.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2025
Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Use mini cookie cutters to make holiday shapes, swirl in colorful frosting, or sprinkle with festive toppings for a seasonal twist.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swirl
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Verb
Rumors of a leadership challenge last swirled in September, when Andy Burnham – a former MP and the current mayor of Greater Manchester – launched an audacious and abortive attempt at challenging Starmer’s approach on the eve of Labour’s annual conference.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Rumors have been swirling this week in Milan that Permira is looking to exit the brand, with interested parties reportedly including the Chinese fund Hongshan.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
All come together in a swirl of complex family dynamics.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Use mini cookie cutters to make holiday shapes, swirl in colorful frosting, or sprinkle with festive toppings for a seasonal twist.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swirl
Cite this Entry
“Swirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swirl. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swirl
1 of 2 noun1
: a whirling mass or motion : eddy
2
: whirling confusion
lost in the swirl of events
3
: a twisting shape, mark, or pattern
swirl
2 of 2 verb1
: to move with or pass in a swirl
2
: to be marked with or arranged in swirls
3
: to cause to swirl
swirlingly
adverb
ˈswər-liŋ-lē
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