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
  • Sure, standing around drinking beer and grilling is fun.
    Parker Hall, Wired News, 21 June 2025
  • Police allege the suspect got a haircut at 11:30 a.m. on the day of his son’s death, then drank beer and took shots from noon until 2:40 p.m. while the infant baked outside in the parking lot.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • In late March, a few hundred people descended on the Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx with young-looking shoppers carousing and running through the complex, based on a TikTok video.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 28 May 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
  • Edwards wasn’t among the masses who binged Bridgerton.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
  • Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who. dinosaurs fossils paleontology biology 1 free article left Want More?
    Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 9 June 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 30 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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