as in to curl
to follow a circular or spiral course
a narrow road spiraling up the mountain to the summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in winding
turning around an axis like the thread of a screw
a spiral staircase takes visitors up into the Statue of Liberty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiral
The Week Uk, TheWeek, 22 Mar. 2026
At age 16, spiraling from bad choices and a tough home environment in Southern California, the Bible and baseball saved his life.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Our planet sits along one of the galaxy’s spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 5 Mar. 2026
David McHugh, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Nearly a decade ago, a spiral of depression and anxiety left him homeless and living on the streets of Spokane, Washington.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Verb
It was recently reported that Moscow might be forced to slash its non-military spending by 10%, owing to the spiralling cost of its war in Ukraine and the impact of sanctions.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 22 Mar. 2026
At age 16, spiraling from bad choices and a tough home environment in Southern California, the Bible and baseball saved his life.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Calabrese and Meyer, who both trained as mechanical engineers, introduced a spiral shape to their tampon that redirects the fluid to the absorbent core.
—Luisa Beltran, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
Our planet sits along one of the galaxy’s spiral arms, about halfway from the center, according to NASA.
—Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
Raising rates only makes sense if higher energy prices start being built into prices for other goods and into workers’ wages, producing a price spiral.
—David McHugh, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Nearly a decade ago, a spiral of depression and anxiety left him homeless and living on the streets of Spokane, Washington.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral
Verb
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Not only is this location remote and hard to reach, but curled rattlesnakes and tarantulas lurk in nooks.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
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In that split second Mara peeled to his right, curling around Avila for the easy lay in.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Chapin said Tokyo’s narrow and winding streets, often crowded with right-handed cars driving on the left side of the road, will present a fresh test for its AI technology, but that Nuro’s systems are designed to adapt and respond in real time.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Hosch, 67, went for a hike on part of the Appalachian Trail, a winding path that extends almost 2,200 miles through 14 states.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Across the futures curve, however, prices tell another story.—
Chloe Taylor,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
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The outer shell of the Louis Vuitton building consists of 3,600 unique glass panels, each bent to a different curve along a different axis, an evident tour de force of engineering and coordination.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By now, the mind-altering powers coiled in these devices are evident.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Overnight, the smoke coiled upward and gave way to acid rain that stained the city black.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Article continues below Early observations have revealed that the asteroid travels a near circular path around the sun that intersects Earth's orbit twice over the course of its 354-day period.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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SpaceX filed seven requests to use the spectrum across its lineup, including the current Starlink dish, the Starlink Mini, the second-generation dish, and the now-defunct first-gen circular dish.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Its eponymous flowers are deep red-orange and the foliage is composed of whorls of needle-like, silvery-blue leaves.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 June 2025
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In 2024, the Ig Nobel Prize in anatomy went to an international team of scientists for their discovery that scalp hair whorls are more likely to spiral in a counter-clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere compared with the Northern Hemisphere.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Hundreds of attendees from around the country and overseas formed winding lines through the corridor outside the event hall at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center Wednesday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
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Arirang — both the show and the group’s new album — sees South Korea’s current cultural ambassadors reckoning with a rich, winding past while deciding where to steer their future.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The two twisted helical stair stringers that support the treads are the structural beams that support the stairs and anyone going up and down them.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
3 Jan. 2026
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The team designed a soft, airless wheel that features elastic steel strips in a woven, crossed-helical pattern.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiral. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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