swirl

1 of 2

verb

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 adverb

swirl

2 of 2

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
If conditions are right, the clusters swirl into a storm known as a tropical wave or tropical depression. Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025 Four men have been convicted in cases related to the Monster of Florence, but doubts continue to swirl about their guilt among those familiar with the case. Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
Specialty flavors include gingerbread, wild blueberry, beignet, chocolate chip, and cinnamon swirl. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025 There’s also a swirl of cream cheese tucked in, which adds a little tang that keeps the sweetness in check. Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swirl

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of swirl was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swirl. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

swirl

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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 verb
1
: to move with or pass in a swirl
2
: to be marked with or arranged in swirls
3
: to cause to swirl
swirlingly
ˈswər-liŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on swirl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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