coiling 1 of 2

as in spiral
turning around an axis like the thread of a screw the coiling strands of rope

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

coiling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of coil

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 coiling
Verb
Dense dust lanes can be seen coiling around Andromeda's glowing galactic center, which is thought to house a supermassive black hole 140 million times more massive than our sun. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coiling
Adjective
  • This track has more spiral turns than any other track previously created by Andretti.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Oct. 2025
  • His existence as an unremarkable man is overturned, and as things spiral violently out of control, he is forced to flee and change his life completely in a movie that rides the new wave of French horror.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Gran Vilaya Trek weaves a tapestry of natural and cultural wonders, winding through more than 30 miles of ancient cloud forests and pre-Incan archaeological remains.
    Ally Jaksen, Outside, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The two movies are fascinating to watch in tandem as a meditation on the unpredictability of making it in the arts—including Linklater’s own path, which has taken him on a strange, winding journey in and out of the mainstream.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass wrote, directed and starred in this blood-curling 2014 film that follows a videographer who takes on a job for an eccentric client.
    Emy LaCroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Seasonal activities are planned according to guest request and include curling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating on nearby Lake Placid.
    Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Indecisive defending around the edge of the box and an unconvincing header by Maxim De Cuyper led to Matheus Cunha giving United a 24th-minute lead against the run of play with a curving shot.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The ethereal structure comprises 297 stainless steel panels that had to be carefully fitted together and integrated with the curving staircases, whose wood elements evoke a ship’s deck.
    Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coiling. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on coiling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!