whirled; whirling; whirls
1
: to move in a circle or similar curve especially with force or speed
2
3
: to pass, move, or go quickly
whirled down the hallway
4
: to become giddy or dizzy : reel
my head is whirling
1
: to drive, impel, or convey with or as if with a rotary motion
2
a
: to cause to turn usually rapidly on or around an axis : rotate
b
: to cause to turn abruptly around or aside
3
obsolete
: to throw or hurl violently with a revolving motion
1
a
: a rapid rotating or circling movement
b
: something undergoing such a movement
2
3
: an experimental or brief attempt : try
gave it a whirl
Synonyms
Examples of whirl in a Sentence
Verb
The cars were whirling around the track.
Clothes were whirling in the washing machine.
The water whirled around the drain.
Her dance partner whirled her around.
Noun
My head was in a whirl.
the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy
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Recent Examples on the Web
Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 10 May 2023
For travel From the brand that gave the world electric epilators in the ’80s, this compact powerhouse (3 ounces, 4 inches tall, 40 whirling tweezers) makes for a great travel partner.
—Abbie Kozolchyk, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023
Minus a few minor deviations, plots of stellar orbits in other galaxies consistently show stars from center to rim all whirling with similar speed, as if held in dark matter’s gravitational grip.
—Adam Mann, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2023
But like the darkest, whirling undercurrents of the Umpqua River, her trauma runs deep.
—Will Lanzoni, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2023
During his playing days, the seasons whirled by: league games, cup games, European games, international games, all piled on top of each other.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 23 May 2023
Nurses in green scrubs attached bags of intravenous hydration fluids to the arms of even the tiniest patients as fans whirled and two air conditioners dripped and chugged.
—Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023
Moore has been an all-purpose weapon, flying out of the backfield, whirling out of the slot and giving Amari Cooper a run for his route-running money.
—Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2023
Eminem is a mischievous, whirling dervish, wrestling real and imagined demons side by side.
—Bob Guccione Jr, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
The weekend flew by, a delirious whirl of excellent food (Samuelsson’s Marcus at the Baha Mar Fish & Chop House was especially transcendent), cabana lounging, flamingo gawking, and rejuvenating deep-tissue massages.
—Brittani Sonnenberg, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2023
The river is veiled with mist, and the water foams and whirls with driftwoods after a heavy rain.
—John Branch Adam Stoltman, New York Times, 14 July 2023
How to Curl Hair With a Flat Iron or Straightener
Your flat iron can do more than straighten: Bryce Scarlett, celebrity hairstylist for Moroccanoil, tells us how to give it a whirl:
Use a flat iron for beachy waves
Start at your brow.
—April Franzino, Good Housekeeping, 8 Sep. 2023
According to researchers, this whirl had winds of around 143 miles per hour and reached temperatures up to 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Aug. 2023
Give the viral Kahi balm a whirl or Thank You Farmer's for a dose of hydration on the go.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 12 Oct. 2023
This design was relatively restrained: extra piped whirls of Swiss meringue buttercream, tinged a faint pinkish-caramel color from the addition of muscovado, crowned around the edges with pomegranate seeds and fennel fronds and small purple flowers.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023
En route from front to back, diners pass a semi-open kitchen and a whirl of cooks.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2023
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Verb
Her impassioned flow — which navigates through whirling R&B melismas and fiery rap bars — and endearing personality shined through early in the series.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 10 May 2023
For travel From the brand that gave the world electric epilators in the ’80s, this compact powerhouse (3 ounces, 4 inches tall, 40 whirling tweezers) makes for a great travel partner.
—Abbie Kozolchyk, wsj.com, 17 Oct. 2023
Minus a few minor deviations, plots of stellar orbits in other galaxies consistently show stars from center to rim all whirling with similar speed, as if held in dark matter’s gravitational grip.
—Adam Mann, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2023
But like the darkest, whirling undercurrents of the Umpqua River, her trauma runs deep.
—Will Lanzoni, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2023
During his playing days, the seasons whirled by: league games, cup games, European games, international games, all piled on top of each other.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 23 May 2023
Nurses in green scrubs attached bags of intravenous hydration fluids to the arms of even the tiniest patients as fans whirled and two air conditioners dripped and chugged.
—Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023
Moore has been an all-purpose weapon, flying out of the backfield, whirling out of the slot and giving Amari Cooper a run for his route-running money.
—Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland, 29 Aug. 2023
Eminem is a mischievous, whirling dervish, wrestling real and imagined demons side by side.
—Bob Guccione Jr, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023
Noun
The Dune actor rocked the same blue pants, white cutout tank top and red underwear that Sivan does in his music video — and gave the music video choreography a whirl, too.
—Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
The weekend flew by, a delirious whirl of excellent food (Samuelsson’s Marcus at the Baha Mar Fish & Chop House was especially transcendent), cabana lounging, flamingo gawking, and rejuvenating deep-tissue massages.
—Brittani Sonnenberg, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2023
The river is veiled with mist, and the water foams and whirls with driftwoods after a heavy rain.
—John Branch Adam Stoltman, New York Times, 14 July 2023
How to Curl Hair With a Flat Iron or Straightener
Your flat iron can do more than straighten: Bryce Scarlett, celebrity hairstylist for Moroccanoil, tells us how to give it a whirl:
Use a flat iron for beachy waves
Start at your brow.
—April Franzino, Good Housekeeping, 8 Sep. 2023
According to researchers, this whirl had winds of around 143 miles per hour and reached temperatures up to 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Aug. 2023
Give the viral Kahi balm a whirl or Thank You Farmer's for a dose of hydration on the go.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 12 Oct. 2023
This design was relatively restrained: extra piped whirls of Swiss meringue buttercream, tinged a faint pinkish-caramel color from the addition of muscovado, crowned around the edges with pomegranate seeds and fennel fronds and small purple flowers.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023
En route from front to back, diners pass a semi-open kitchen and a whirl of cooks.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whirl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hvirfla to whirl; akin to Old High German wirbil whirlwind, Old English hweorfan to turn — more at wharf
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of whirl was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing whirl
Dictionary Entries Near whirl
Cite this Entry
“Whirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whirl. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
whirl
1 of 2 verb
ˈhwər(-ə)l 
ˈwər(-ə)l
1
: to move or drive in a circle or curve especially with force or speed
cars whirling around the track
3
: to move or go quickly
whirled down the street
4
: to become dizzy : reel
my head is whirling
More from Merriam-Webster on whirl
Nglish: Translation of whirl for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of whirl for Arabic Speakers
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