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
  • 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
  • Directly mirroring the music video, Yung Lean was flanked by a swath of dancers in school uniforms who rippled through captivating choreography created by Damien Jalet.
    — Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 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
  • The piano part gurgles like the waters with a rippling right-hand figure in sextuplets.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • After years of stomach-gurgling, nail-chewing anxiety, this was an entirely different Arsenal experience.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of gurgle
Verb
  • Then Clark put on a dribbling clinic, made nifty pass after nifty pass and became both a harassing presence on defense and the Fever's emotional leader during a 20-6 second-quarter run.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But moments later, Bremen got even when Cardoso dribbled past a series of defenders and played a dangerous ball into the box that a Herscher defender booted into the net for an own goal.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dribble
Verb
  • Strong waves were already lapping at the coastline of her city Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán.
    — Megan Janetsky, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Blaney, who led a race-high 202 laps despite starting 29th, was already frustrated after falling into heavy traffic because of a penalty for a pit lane violation with just over 100 laps remaining.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purl. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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