birl

verb

ˈbər(-ə)l How to pronounce birl (audio)
Definition of birlnext
chiefly Scottish
as in to drink
to take part in drunken revelry spent a good part of his time in Edinburgh birling into the wee small hours of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of birl There was sea salt in the air, and sleepless seagulls were birling in the darkness overhead. — Douglas Stuart, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2020 In some parts of the United States, birling contests are annual events. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birl
  1. drink
  2. carouse
  3. revel
  4. binge
  5. roister
  6. wassail
Verb
  • Observed employees drinking coffee by the sushi area who changed their gloves but didn’t wash their hands before preparing sushi for customers’ orders.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Food and drink As with Chablé’s other properties, the food program is overseen by Jorge Vallejo, who helms Mexico City’s Quintonil (named as one of the world’s top 50 restaurants).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of drink
Verb
  • There are certainly fans and pundits who feel that anything short of a title shouldn’t be celebrated in sports, and some who think carousing over anything less is especially beneath the Yankees, who have won 27 World Series but zero since 2009.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Three sitting rooms are complemented by a further three members’ social spaces for carousing in, concealed behind a subtle screen (here, DJs including Goldierocks make appearances, and mobile snaps are banned; staff politely place a sticker over mobile camera lenses).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
Definition of carouse
Verb
  • The video sweeps around a reveling fiefdom, showing everyone from peasants to dukes partying and getting it on.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Navarrete reveled with one woman over her husband’s release from a detention facility.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of revel
Verb
  • Also among the Golden Dawn initiates was infamous occultist Aleister Crowley, who the documentary said was a destructive force in the group, binging on drugs while being accused of summoning demons using Golden Dawn rituals.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The fantasy of perfectly solitary convenience—DoorDashing a meal for one and binging Netflix alone on the couch—has been a reliable bet in Silicon Valley.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of binge
Verb
  • One of his sons, Thomas (Dean-Charles Chapman), though hardly old enough to be in long pants, wears shining armor, while the other son, Hal (Timothée Chalamet), is a slouch who wastes his life in roistering.
    — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2019
Definition of roister
Verb
  • Some speculate that wassailing predates Christianity in the region; others note its association with the Christian holiday of Twelfth Night.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 24 Dec. 2025
  • Image Image In the village of Midsomer Norton, about 50 miles away, 100 people or so turned out for a community event to wassail three small apple trees in the local park.
    — Stephen Castle, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Definition of wassail

Browse Nearby Words

birettas
birl
birled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Birl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birl. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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