as in spiral
turning around an axis like the thread of a screw
Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, travels a helical path through space
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Recent Examples of helical
Among its features is the tourbillon at 5 o’clock, two six-column wheels to operate the different levers of the split-seconds function, a specific clamp design and a blade instead of the traditional helical spring.
—
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 May 2025
Nelson’s team can use its magnets to control a helical microrobot with magnetic fields of less than 10 millitesla, a fraction of what’s created in an MRI.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2015
Unlike standard laser beams that propagate straight, vortex beams twist along their axis, creating a helical wavefront with a distinct ‘null intensity’ region at the center.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2025
These helical stacks are similar to a screw thread.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helical
Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 May 2025
Nelson’s team can use its magnets to control a helical microrobot with magnetic fields of less than 10 millitesla, a fraction of what’s created in an MRI.
—IEEE Spectrum, 1 June 2015
Unlike standard laser beams that propagate straight, vortex beams twist along their axis, creating a helical wavefront with a distinct ‘null intensity’ region at the center.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2025
These helical stacks are similar to a screw thread.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for helical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helical
Adjective
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The pillow top cover is filled with a fine spiral fiber filling, which is held in place with quilted stitching that ensures equal distribution without bunching.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Spanning 44 miles and reaching nearly 13,000 feet in elevation, the railway has 77 tunnels, 50 bridges, and the world’s longest spiral rail line.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In Copenhagen, cyclists glide past copper spires and winding canals—cinnamon pastries in hand.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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From $262 per night. Perks: Saltwater pool and spa, king beds in all rooms, piano, fire pit At the top of a long and winding drive awaits Le Petite Retreat.—
Jessica Cherner,
Architectural Digest,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Helical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helical. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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