purl

verb

Definition of purlnext
as in to swirl

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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 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
  • That said, why are there questions about Charles’ inheritance swirling?
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The predicates swirl around, occasionally repeating themselves, unsettled, inexhaustible.
    — Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of swirl
Verb
  • The seismic changes at Netflix have rippled across the pond, with up to 3% of the streamer’s London HQ laid off, it has now been confirmed.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Inflation is rippling through everything from candy to costumes.
    — Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of ripple
Verb
  • Its beauty is only rivalled by the bubbling powder-blue domes of nearby Süleymaniye Mosque, constructed by Mimar Sinan, a contemporary of Michelangelo.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Not only would this have led to liquid water covering much of the Martian surface, but when lava bubbled through the Martian crust and met groundwater, warm habitable niches ideal for microbial life could have been forged.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 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
  • Another ongoing complaint against Citation originated about 10 miles east of the Bayou, where a rancher named Mike Faulkner noticed an unusual amount of salt water gurgling to the surface and flowing down a creek on his land in April.
    — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of gurgle
Verb
  • Okongwu caught an inbound pass just outside the arc, dribbled in, and pulled up at the dotted line.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Apparently, anyone who has ever dribbled a basketball has an opinion about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, the Heat’s poor start and what to do from here.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of dribble
Verb
  • Boyd will lap the one-year mark in March, meaning one of the fastest growing businesses in the data center end market becomes classified as an organic growth driver.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Ritz-Carlton also boasts the island’s only hammam, as well as a spacious relaxation deck to amplify the sense of elemental escape, with waves lapping away just beneath your feet.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of lap
Verb
  • There’s no need to rinse the bird, and washing raw poultry can spread bacteria around your kitchen.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In certain communities, funeral practices included washing the body and sprinkling water on mourners, which risked exposing people to infected bodily fluids.
    — Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of wash

Browse Nearby Words

purity
purl
purled
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Cite this Entry

“Purl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purl. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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