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 Another, unable to reach dry land, dug his spiked boots into a slippery timber and birled downriver. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2019 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
Verb
  • At school, nothing was more shameful to me than seeing my father drinking from the water fountain, sucking and gulping.
    Ottessa Moshfegh, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • At the first mention of the Trump’s name, Straus sighs and grabs her drink off the bar, taking a long sip.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • These increasingly crazed visitors spend their days lazing on the shore, drinking and eating, carousing with prostitutes, and abusing Rosa (played by B-movie actress Leonora Fani, who would also star in the equally notorious vacation film Giallo in Venice) for their own entertainment.
    Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
  • That night, Noonan caroused at the hotel bar with James Collopy, the district superintendent of the civil-aviation board.
    Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Milan’s Chukwueze revelled on this stage, exciting fans further with a number skilful runs on the ball.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 1 June 2025
  • First up, while people are revelling following the verdict, the emotional intensity of reaction can be traced to a sense of loss.
    Callum Booth, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Check out our guides to the best new thrillers and celebrity memoirs to binge, or pick a romance from our recent roundup.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 July 2025
  • Or, on the other hand, fans may have been waiting for the upcoming July 4 holiday to binge the show, taking advantage of the downtime.
    Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
    BHG Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Birl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birl. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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