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
  • Svelte white waitresses in generic Asian garb swirled around us.
    — Karan Mahajan, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Rumors swirled about Alito’s retirement plans after NPR published and then retracted an article by reporter Nina Totenberg that Alito would be retiring from his role on the bench at the end of the court’s 2025-26 term.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of swirl
Verb
  • The effects of weather disruptions ripple through regional supply chains, affecting everything from aviation and manufacturing to insurance and public health.
    — Karryl Kim Sagun Trajano, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • One analysis projects the coming wave could mint more than 16,000 new millionaires and roughly 20 billionaires—a wealth-creation event already beginning to ripple through the world’s most rarefied property markets.
    — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of ripple
Verb
  • The broiling temperatures released toxic gases and hazardous liquid waste that bubbled up to the surface.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • After a late night meal at an Indian restaurant followed by a nightcap at the crew's favorite Italian restaurant, a season's worth of suspicions comes bubbling up for Tony in the form of a violent episode of food poisoning.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 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
  • Other nearby points of interest include gurgling mud pots, or geothermal mud volcanoes, on the eastern shoreline.
    — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026
  • Not every gurgling sink requires a call to the plumber.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 10 June 2026
Definition of gurgle
Verb
  • After Holliday stole second, Taylor Ward dribbled a two-run single past Torkelson at first, cutting the Tigers' lead to 7-5.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 29 July 2026
  • The 20-year-old Venezuelan expertly controlled the ball with space to work, dribbled into the box, cut to his left and tucked it between Cleveland and the far post for his sixth MLS goal and 10th in all competitions this year.
    — Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026
Definition of dribble
Verb
  • Imbibe inside or in the adjoining garden-courtyard where passing gondolas send canal water lapping below the balustrade.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • To the tune of softly lapping waves, The Inn at Langley revealed its cards slowly in the way quiet luxury tends to do.
    — Katie Nanton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of lap
Verb
  • People should immediately wash cuts and scrapes thoroughly with soap and clean running water after coming in contact with coastal waters or raw seafood, the CDC said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • People can protect themselves by washing their hands, washing produce, cooking and heating produce and avoid eating raw foods and unpasteurized milk.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 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 10 Aug. 2026.

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