corkscrew 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of corkscrewnext
as in spiral
turning around an axis like the thread of a screw an angelic child with beautiful corkscrew curls

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

corkscrew

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to pull
to draw out by force or with effort practically every word had to be corkscrewed out of the tight-lipped witness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to curl
to follow a circular or spiral course the trail corkscrews through dense woods to the top of the steep hill

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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 corkscrew
Adjective
The size and shape of antelope horns range dramatically, from the tiny spikes of duikers to the majestic corkscrew horns (more than 160 cm [63 inches] long) of the greater kudu. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Apr. 2026 The Oscar winner's hair has changed a lot over the years, from her iconic red corkscrew curls in 1983 to a long blonde mane in 2026. — John Russell, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
Above ground, corkscrew plants produce small green leaves and delicate flowers. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026 For dinner, choose the soon-to-open French bistro Petit Trois from chef Ludo Lefebvre, or opt for casual comfort (burgers, Jidori chicken Milanese, corkscrew fries) at the convivial, all-day restaurant. — Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for corkscrew
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corkscrew
  1. spiral
  2. pull
  3. curl
  4. extract
  5. coil
  6. pluck
  7. wind
  8. curve
Adjective
  • That salon, Mayfair, became the setting for a film that follows Zaineen (Zaineen Chowdhury Karim), a bride-to-be whose wedding preparations spiral into a battle with her own body.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • During his testimony, the prosecution produced a spiral notebook in which Clancy had left instructions for caretakers on when to put down the baby, which vegetables to prepare for dinner, how to cut up the sweet potatoes.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • Jackson’s availability was curbed by red cards at Chelsea — in Bruges, a barge and shirt pull with defender Han-Beom Lee suggested those flickers of fury and confrontation still burn.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • When his brother pleads for help, Tariq is pulled back into the London criminal underworld and the dangerous orbit of their crime boss mother.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • She’s played with a darkly enigmatic, unnerving quality by James in her finest work to date — a knowing, even domineering smile often curling around her lips.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The faster lines already have started to curl higher, as well.
    — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of curl
Verb
  • Gulliver incredulously witnesses people attempting to extract sunbeams from cucumbers and turn excrement back into edible food.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • As part of the investigation, those at Gamers Nexus were able to extract the names of the secondary devices as well as transcripts of private conversations people were having around the LG TV.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • An alarmed individual may coil its body and open its mouth in an attempt to appear more intimidating.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The lights dangled from white beams, their power cables coiled and hanging like tails.
    — Caitlín Doherty, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of coil
Verb
  • That’s what life is like for NFL players who were plucked off the waiver wire last week, or those who have signed with a new team last week after not making their old team’s initial 53-man roster.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Last January Nessie O’Neil, a graduate student in biology at Miami University in Ohio, watched as a young pygmy raccoon plucked a receipt from the paper trash.
    — Isabel Gil, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Hundreds of homes and businesses hugged the Trishuli River, which cuts a winding path through the Nepali Himalayas.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • During the Covid pandemic, the staff voluntarily used their fallow time to repair some of the old pilgrim trails winding through the forest behind.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of wind
Verb
  • Similarly, experiments that Sanchez-Lavega and his colleagues performed with computer simulations of currents in shallow water suggest the decagon formed because of a meandering wave trapped by a curving atmospheric jet.
    — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Its sides pinch inward near the ground before curving, mushroom-like, outward, making its upper body appear to float.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of curve

Browse Nearby Words

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corkscrew
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Cite this Entry

“Corkscrew.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/corkscrew. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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