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
  • Now, questions are swirling around the agreement, including who will pay for the benefits and when residents would receive them.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Burnham’s comments come as questions about the incident – which triggered a major security response in the area and sparked international alarm – continue to swirl on both sides of the Atlantic.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of swirl
Verb
  • 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
  • Escarpments were carved into beaches, asphalt rippled on the coastal highway, and tourists like Lester were left trapped.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of ripple
Verb
  • In the face of all that truthiness bubbling up, executives lost the ability to manage expectations internally and with partners.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This week, in the zany world of SEC football, a bit of controversy bubbled to life.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 1 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
  • 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
  • Wyatt Joyce dribbled the ball 13 yards to the MTSU 48, where it was recovered by KU’s Ezra Vedral, a junior from Omaha.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of dribble
Verb
  • 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
  • The hotel’s unprecedented vantage point envelops guests in panoramic views of Melbourne and the ocean lapping at Port Phillip Bay.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of lap
Verb
  • At high tide, the waves wash into his living room, depositing saltwater treasures and unlikely new friends.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The result is a single zone that can wash, chop, drain and dry without a cook ever moving to a new surface.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 1 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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