twirl

1 of 2

verb

twirled; twirling; twirls
Synonyms of twirlnext

intransitive verb

1
: to revolve rapidly
dancers twirling on the dance floor
The kite twirled in the wind.
2
: to pitch in a baseball game

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to rotate rapidly
twirl a baton
b
: to twist or wrap
nervously twirling her hair
twirled the spaghetti around his fork
2
twirler noun

twirl

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of twirling
2
: coil, whorl
twirly adjective

Examples of twirl in a Sentence

Verb They twirled past us on the dance floor. The cheerleaders jumped and twirled. The kite twisted and twirled in the wind. The chef twirled the noodles around his fork. Noun The dancers executed perfect twirls. the twirl of the dancer's skirt mesmerized me
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
American rapper and producer Snoop Dogg received a guard of honor and was greeted with twirling white towels on Tuesday on his first visit to Swansea City since becoming an investor with the Welsh side last year. Reuters, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026 The brutal tumble down the ice, those skis with knife-sharp edges twirling as the snow cloud engulfs her. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
In other words, Uranus moves around our star like a spinning top that is tilted over and that twirls backward. Lee Billings, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2026 At a picnic fundraiser in Orlando, his wife Iryna grabs his arms and wildly twirls around his wheelchair, savoring life. Carol Guzy, NPR, 22 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for twirl

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect tvirla to twirl; akin to Old High German dweran to stir

First Known Use

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twirl was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Twirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twirl. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

twirl

1 of 2 verb
: to turn or cause to turn rapidly
twirl a baton
twirler noun

twirl

2 of 2 noun
: an act of twirling

More from Merriam-Webster on twirl

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