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
  • Home bar owners typically have food and drink, both alcoholic and not, available to attendees.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026
  • People can get the stomach bug by eating and drinking food and water contaminated with poop.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026
Definition of drink
Verb
  • 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
  • Bethany takes the explosive event as a sign to reunite with her old girlfriend Nel (Lena Góra), and carouse across lofts, clubs, and back alleys, leaving her erstwhile partner stranded.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of carouse
Verb
  • And on Wednesday, here in Atlanta, the Argentines turned a tourist attraction called Underground Atlanta into Underground Argentina, reveling with drums, chants, and dancing after beating England, 2-1, to earn a place in the championship game.
    — Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 18 July 2026
  • Walker wore his Cardinals hat backward, chewed a big wad of bubble gum and reveled afterward in flashing his imitation Liberty Bell bling, the champions chain presented by Ryan Howard.
    — Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026
Definition of revel
Verb
  • This is someone’s Super Bowl, if the Super Bowl was about binging 15 pounds of cased beef tubes.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • The final season just dropped, and people have started to binge.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 30 June 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 23 Jul. 2026.

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