purl

verb

Definition of purlnext
as in to swirl

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Dissimilar Words

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 purl The two halves of the hook move independently, enabling the device to knit or purl depending on which part picks up the first loop. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025 There was no ocean, no sea in this part of Україна, only a purling river. — Literary Hub, 12 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purl
  1. swirl
  2. ripple
  3. bubble
  4. eddy
  5. gurgle
  6. dribble
  7. lap
  8. wash
Verb
  • Despite the fact that the brand was receiving better reviews and creating more buzz recently, speculation had been swirling for months that Leoni’s contract may not be renewed.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Questions continue to swirl, even as a second phase of the anti-fraud effort is underway.
    — Julie Appleby, NPR, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of swirl
Verb
  • On July 23, 1973, tragedy rippled through the Mexican American community when 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez was shot and killed by a Dallas police officer who tried to coerce him into confessing to a burglary by playing Russian roulette.
    — Alexis Guerrero, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • On Facebook, Lee’s account displayed a picture of the young Chinese man from behind, rippling shoulders framed in a weight lifter’s tank top.
    — Eamon Javers, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of ripple
Verb
  • Rumors of Frow’s impending departure had been bubbling in the industry in some months.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Anthony Tubbs of the Los Angeles Fire Department said firefighters also responded to reports of flooding in the area and found water bubbling from the street.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bubble
Verb
  • Lindsay-Abaire makes a real meal of sketching the rest of the neighborhood association, played by a bevy of nimble theatrical comedians, though their own simmering resentments tend to eddy alongside the central Kyra-Elliot conflict.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Moses’s book eddies around with the energy of someone reporting back from a very long and strange evening clicking through Wikipedia links, enjoying every chance to add a tangent.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Definition of eddy
Verb
  • Today, those springs feed five geothermal pools, with temperatures reaching up to 102 degrees and contain minerals like manganese, silicate, and zinc, in a magical setting marked by gurgling fountains and 100-year-old redwood and eucalyptus trees.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The piano part gurgles like the waters with a rippling right-hand figure in sextuplets.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of gurgle
Verb
  • Ellis was pulled after Sam Reinhart tied the game at 2 by poking in a loose puck that dribbled into the crease behind the goalie.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • An unholy relaxation trifecta, the treatment advertises a gentle cleansing scrub, a head and neck massage dribbled in therapeutic oils, and a custom mask infused with calming plant extracts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of dribble
Verb
  • The stretch of track along the San Clemente shoreline has long offered picturesque views of sandy beaches and lapping ocean waves for passengers traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The medieval abbey of Normandy’s Mont Saint-Michel, a tidal island only accessible at certain times each day, stretched from the lapping waves as though reaching for Heaven.
    — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of lap
Verb
  • The only additional water usage for this collection comes in a single rinse wash given by Triarchy before the finished product ships so that the consumer doesn’t have to wash before wearing.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • To kill lice or eggs that have jumped to surfaces, wash all clothing, bedding, head wear and toys that came in contact with the child’s head in the past two days in hot water and dry them on high heat.
    — Emily J. C. Wong, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of wash

Browse Nearby Words

purity
purl
purled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purl. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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