twirl

1 of 2

verb

ˈtwər-(-ə)l 

twirled; twirling; twirls

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

twirler

ˈtwər-lər 

noun

twirl

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of twirling

2

: coil, whorl

twirly

ˈtwər-lē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• rotate
• turn
• spin
• swing
• twist
• swirl
• whirl

Noun

• rotation
• spin
• roll
• curve

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

The two were also snapped laughing together and sharing a sweet hug, with Brammall twirling Hathaway around. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Team members twirled and juggled their own handfuls, separated their mass and recombined it; the only thing more impressive than their dexterity was their nonchalance. —Literary Hub, 1 July 2025

Noun

Somewhere, Decoy wags his tail and Mr. Redlegs twirls his mustache. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 July 2025

The migas taco is a sublime blend of flavor and texture, packed with a twirl of supple eggs, gooey cheese and crunchy tortilla strips. —Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

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

Rhymes for twirl

• burl
• churl
• earl
• girl
• hurl
• merl
• merle
• perle
• swirl
• whirl
• whorl
• cowgirl

Kids Definition

twirl

1 of 2 verb

ˈtwər(-ə)l 

: to turn or cause to turn rapidly

twirl a baton

twirler noun

twirl

2 of 2 noun

: an act of twirling