whirlwind

1 of 2

noun

whirl·​wind ˈ(h)wər(-ə)l-ˌwind How to pronounce whirlwind (audio)
1
: a small rotating windstorm of limited extent
2
a
: a confused rush : whirl
a whirlwind of meetings
b
: a violent or destructive force or agency

whirlwind

2 of 2

adjective

: resembling a whirlwind especially in speed or force
a whirlwind campaign
a whirlwind romance

Examples of whirlwind in a Sentence

Noun My life has been a whirlwind lately. He attended a whirlwind of meetings. Adjective The band went on a whirlwind concert tour. They were married after a whirlwind romance. We continued on at a whirlwind pace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The pair's whirlwind romance is brought to life once again — this time on the stage — in its finest adaptation yet. EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024 Either way, the film made a splash for its whirlwind twists and multiple shocking scenes between Keoghan and Elordi. Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Based on the 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel, the movie follows two lovers who meet in the 1940s and begin a whirlwind romance, concluding with the couple in their old age. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Pulling back a large, unassuming curtain, a jazz trio was in the midst of a whirlwind jam, the cozy room reminiscent of a Chicago back-alley joint. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 From there, the pair embark on a whirlwind romance that quickly invites criticism from the public. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 The past month has been a whirlwind for luxury brands, models and fashion fans as designers have promoted their visions at Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan and now Paris. Emmett Lindner, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 The ensembles traveled to the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach, Fla.; the Nassau County Museum of Art in New York; and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass. After the exhibition, Apfel’s life became a whirlwind of photo shoots, media appearances and high-profile collaborations. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 The religious service marks a rare moment of company for many, after two years of whirlwind change around them. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
In a whirlwind 24 hours last week, Jenni Trilik and Marcus Contaldo went from being $216,000 in debt and the owners of nearly 30,000 bags of unsold coffee to utterly overwhelmed with support. Tatyana Turner, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2023 The All-Star weekend in Cleveland that kindled much reflection for Shaquille O’Neal spilled over, to his apparent surprise, during his whirlwind two-day visit to North Texas this week. Dallas News, 24 Feb. 2022 The actor is the midst of an intense, whirlwind media tour where he is asked to relay these horrors on an almost hourly basis. Karen Heller, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2022 Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, struck a tentative deal to acquire FTX after a whirlwind 48 hours during which a slide in the price of a coin issued by FTX quickly led to a wider liquidity crunch at the company. Elaine Yu, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2022 Yesterday, the actress had a whirlwind 24 hours that involved talk show and red-carpet appearances. Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 Oct. 2022 The pair ended up going home together that night, kicking off a romance that was less whirlwind than maelstrom. Matthew Dessem, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 The superstar couple were married late Saturday night in a whirlwind Vegas ceremony. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 July 2022 The move is the latest in a whirlwind 24 hours for the vaping company, which was ordered to shut down all U.S. sales Thursday afternoon. Nicholas Florko, STAT, 28 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whirlwind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1614, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whirlwind was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near whirlwind

Cite this Entry

“Whirlwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whirlwind. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whirlwind

1 of 2 noun
whirl·​wind -ˌwind How to pronounce whirlwind (audio)
: a small windstorm of rapidly rotating air

whirlwind

2 of 2 adjective
: resembling a whirlwind especially in speed or force
a whirlwind campaign
a whirlwind romance

More from Merriam-Webster on whirlwind

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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