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
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 16 July 2025
But even the mildest, most well-meaning suggestions can hit like personal attacks for those struggling with an inferiority complex…and be enough to spark a shame spiral.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 16 July 2025
Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
Markets have been spiraling ever since, and a U.S. appeals court is currently probing the use of tariffs after they were deemed unlawful.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2025
David Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Designed as a meditative oasis, the landscape includes two spaces: a spiral path lined by pollinator plantings (above), and a lawn with playful topography and plantings to foster curiosity about the natural world.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Verb
As Brooks stands in the doorway, listening to this new fight spiral out of control, there’s a fear in his weary eyes.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 16 July 2025
But even the mildest, most well-meaning suggestions can hit like personal attacks for those struggling with an inferiority complex…and be enough to spark a shame spiral.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 16 July 2025
Adjective
Some California Democrats are wary, warning that a redistricting arms race could spiral and erode trust with voters.
—Savannah Kuchar, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2025
Markets have been spiraling ever since, and a U.S. appeals court is currently probing the use of tariffs after they were deemed unlawful.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
Add to that a dizzying descent on a spiral water slide for the young or young at heart at the family pool.
—David Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Designed as a meditative oasis, the landscape includes two spaces: a spiral path lined by pollinator plantings (above), and a lawn with playful topography and plantings to foster curiosity about the natural world.
—Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral
Verb
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The results are still visible in stucco and steel and glass, perched above canyons, tucked along curling streets, looking out toward the Observatory and the basin beyond.—
Spencer Elliott,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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Situated on the southern edge of North Carolina’s southernmost hook, which curls around the Neuse River and stretches towards the Atlantic, Beaufort is a historic fishing village that leans into its storied and salty charms.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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The ascent is dramatic—a winding, six-mile climb brought us 2,700 feet above sea level.—
Kinsey Giddick,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Aug. 2025
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In addition, the watch has a stop-second function, which halts the balance wheel and seconds hand when the winding crown is pulled out, allowing for precise time adjustments.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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The real challenge lay in the mental aspects, the steep learning curve of a new sport.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
-
The anchor points are built into the shoe, with a deeper curve than standard flip flops.—
Maggie Slepian,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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With the line jumping crazily from the wooden box in which 1,000 yards had been coiled neatly, the beast barreled toward the bottom on a slight angle out to sea.—
Pat Smith,
Outdoor Life,
24 July 2025
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This tangle-free braided nylon cable has patented magnetic tech that keeps it neatly coiled around the Apple Watch charger.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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To do this, the team used a robotic arm equipped with a force and torque sensor to measure air flow in hundreds of spots inside a short model duct to build up a map that shows the unstable danger points in a circular duct and safer ones where the air currents cancel one another out.—
David Szondy
August 02,
New Atlas,
2 Aug. 2025
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This circular rash, often with a clear center, gradually expands outward and may have the characterstic bull’s-eye appearance.—
Matthew Binnicker,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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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But in Chile 28 percent of kids had a counterclockwise whorl.—
Bethany Brookshire,
Scientific American,
31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The winding streets of Ilion are transformed into a labyrinthine maze with an armed man around every corner.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
7 Aug. 2025
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Christophe Magny, head of the Aude region fire brigade, told BFMTV that extreme weather conditions combining low humidity (25%), wind at more than 30km/h and temperatures around 35 degree celsius, created ideal conditions for the fire to spread.—
Pierre Barin,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This helical strand of molecules allows for information contained in DNA in the nucleus of cells to be delivered to ribosomes where protein synthesis can occur.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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These consist of arrays of small antennas, each fed with a signal at a shifted phase to create the helical wave.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
25 Apr. 2012
Cite this Entry
“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiral. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.
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