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
Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 28 Nov. 2025
Rumors have been swirling that Permira is looking to exit the brand, with interested parties reportedly including the Chinese fund Hongshan.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 27 Nov. 2025
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025
On Sunday, Camp Flog Gnaw featured a swirl of artists, from GloRilla to A$AP Rocky, who commanded the stage with their charismatic rap flows and ostentatious on-stage personas.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swirl
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Speculation has long swirled that Yermak could be embroiled in the scandal, which has fueled public anger and been seized on by the Kremlin to try to undermine Ukraine's leadership.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 28 Nov. 2025
Rumors have been swirling that Permira is looking to exit the brand, with interested parties reportedly including the Chinese fund Hongshan.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 27 Nov. 2025
Noun
The original bell remains in the bell tower, and the monastic light all swirls together to create a magical environment for nuptials (including Anya Taylor-Joy, who held her private ceremony here in 2022).
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025
On Sunday, Camp Flog Gnaw featured a swirl of artists, from GloRilla to A$AP Rocky, who commanded the stage with their charismatic rap flows and ostentatious on-stage personas.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 25 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 30 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share