twirl

verb

\ ˈtwər-(-ə)l

twirled; twirling; twirls

Definition of twirl

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to revolve rapidly

2 : to pitch in a baseball game

transitive verb

1 : to cause to rotate rapidly

2 : pitch sense 2a

twirl

noun

Definition of twirl (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act of twirling

2 : coil, whorl

Other Words from twirl Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about twirl

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Other Words from twirl

Verb

twirler \ ˈtwər-lər

\ noun

Noun

twirly \ ˈtwər-lē

\ 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: Verb

No sprinting, twirling, sliding, kicking celebrations. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: For U.S. women’s soccer team, problem is less the 13 goals than the 13 celebrations," 12 June 2019 Bill Boop, 46, alternately twirled his grandsons and 17-year-old daughter McKenzie. — Molly Hennessy-fiske, latimes.com, "Texas once had 1,000 dance halls. Now there’s a rush to save those that remain," 4 June 2019 The embellishments were even more stunning as the bride twirled and danced around at the afterparty. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Serena Williams Just Shared New Wedding Photos Starring Her Adorable Daughter," 21 Nov. 2017 Simply put your finger down and twirl the circle to pick any one of the moods that arise: Passionate (a Schumann sonata for violin and piano)! — Corey Seymour, Vogue, "Idagio—The Spotify For Classical Music—Has Changed My Life," 15 May 2019 Her teal-colored dress contained structured shoulders that looked like wings, and the full skirt twirled around her legs just like Tinkerbell’s magical fairy dust. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "The "Riverdale" Cast Walked the Met Gala 2019 Red Carpet," 7 May 2019 She and her backup dancers twirled around the space before heading into the auditorium. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "Carrie Underwood's Casual ACMs Performance Is Receiving a Lot of Mixed Reactions," 8 Apr. 2019 Clips show The Vixen twirling around the stage while rainbow lights and confetti rain down on the audience. — Stephen Daw, Billboard, "The Vixen & Shea Coulee Perform at Chicago Black Girl Magic Show: Watch," 27 June 2018 The attractive pot, whose swirled design recalls a flamenco performer’s twirling skirt (hence its name, after the famous Carmen Amaya), comes in elegant white clay or earthy terra-cotta. — Ann Lien, House Beautiful, "This Planter Takes Care of Your Plant for Three Weeks Straight," 13 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The 23-year-old model was heading to Variety's Power Of Women event in Manhattan, but stopped to give photographers a twirl (in the rain, mind you) and flaunt her dramatic ensemble. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Gigi Hadid Casually Slayed a Cape on the Streets of New York City," 5 Apr. 2019 Cox gave us twirls, sashays, hair flips, and dramatic poses up and down the entire length of the runway. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Laverne Cox Just Kicked Off NYFW With the Most Epic Runway Walk," 7 Feb. 2019 My favorite new skill is capturing twirls with the mobile phone! — Hannah Zisman, Marie Claire, "Your Instagram Guide to Marrakesh, Morocco," 30 Jan. 2018 Memorable thanks to her confident stride and final twirl, the strut caught the attention of supermodel Tyra Banks, who retweeted the clip and added some America’s Next Top Model–esque commentary. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Even Supermodels Were Impressed by Catriona Gray’s “Lava Walk”," 17 Dec. 2018 Salón San Luis The dance floor at this old-school salon, cloaked in red light, comes alive as locals, tourists, and old timers twirl and shuffle to the tunes of a live band. — Condé Nast Traveler, "23 Best Things To Do In Mexico City," 4 Mar. 2018 But only a few hours later, Mercury (the planet of communication) begins its twirl backward. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What November's Cancer Horoscope Means for You," 28 Oct. 2018 Florence Welch is known for her modern mastery of romantic gowns worthy of a good old-fashioned twirl. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Kelsey Lu Played Cello With Florence Welch in a Very Florence Welch-y Dress," 31 May 2018 Forgo over-the-head twirls when dancing — too much risk of flashing underarm perspiration. — Lauren Levy, The Cut, "The Everything Guide to Staying Cool at a Summer Wedding," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twirl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near twirl

Statistics for twirl

Last Updated

16 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for twirl

The first known use of twirl was in 1598

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More Definitions for twirl

twirl

verb

English Language Learners Definition of twirl

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to turn (something) around and around quickly

: to turn or spin around and around

: to twist or wrap (something) around something

twirl

noun

English Language Learners Definition of twirl (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of turning or spinning around quickly

See the full definition for twirl in the English Language Learners Dictionary

twirl

verb

\ ˈtwərl

twirled; twirling

Kids Definition of twirl

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to turn or cause to turn rapidly Next, he picked up a … brush by the handle and twirled it back and forth …— Franklin W. Dixon, The Secret Panel