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
Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash As the Flynn family fractures under the strain of a failing open marriage and three daughters spiraling into dangerous secrets, their small coastal town is quietly dominated by a powerful shipping magnate no one dares to question.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2026
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
The most important step, though, is to act before your balances spiral further.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Love credits Milos Forman for pulling her out of the spiral that happened during and after this period, and her role in The People Vs.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Verb
The only scenario that makes logical sense would be the Leafs spiraling all the way to fourth- or fifth-last overall, then getting bumped back down to the sixth pick in the lottery and handing that pick to a division rival, who would, of course, use it to draft their next franchise player.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash As the Flynn family fractures under the strain of a failing open marriage and three daughters spiraling into dangerous secrets, their small coastal town is quietly dominated by a powerful shipping magnate no one dares to question.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
In Bridgerton season 1, Ben Miller appears as Lord Archibald Featherington, the head of the Featherington family whose gambling issues spiral out of control.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Feb. 2026
The most important step, though, is to act before your balances spiral further.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
Distinguished by different hairdos and contrasting body language, Douglas, who can will himself to appear sedate, and James, who’s in a continual manic spiral, have more in common than either would care to admit.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Love credits Milos Forman for pulling her out of the spiral that happened during and after this period, and her role in The People Vs.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral
Verb
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So far, he’s been spotted draped in a full-length, white fluffy coat and fire engine-red hat and gloves, watching the women’s downhill race, and casually chatting with onlookers at the curling mixed doubles, adorned in a zip-jacket emblazoned with Team USA players’ faces.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Acuff later attempted an alley-oop with Isaiah Sealy, who couldn't get a reverse layup from his waist to curl in the basket.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Chicago capped a winding season of exclamation-point football with its wild-card comeback against the archrival Green Bay Packers.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2026
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Old Town Albuquerque With its narrow, winding streets and adobe architecture, Old Town Albuquerque oozes small-town charm.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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From my perch on a sun lounger, Friendship Bay stretches out below me – the curve of the powdery sand beach, the impossible blue of the sea and the calming lapping of the waves against the shore.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
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But Disney is graded on a curve, and investors have kept the stock in neutral since 2022, anxiously awaiting the Next Great Era of Disney that Bob Iger’s return to the helm promised.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Coil the Hose Keep your hose in good condition for the coming year by coiling it in large, loose loops to avoid kinks.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
31 Dec. 2025
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The lights, neatly coiled last January, have evolved into a glowing knot of holiday resentment.—
Mark Glende,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Just a mile and a half down a country lane is Oldstead and the Black Swan, but ask about the circular walking route that Tommy’s dad drew.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, Donnie has made his way to a big, circular room within the mansion where several men are participating in orgy events.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 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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And every stop along the winding road of his life, from musical wunderkind to business and community leader, has shaped how this Flossmoor resident approaches life.—
Jim Dudlicek,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Written and performed Kentucky natives Nick Jamerson and Kris Bentley, the this song is love note to Kentucky which paints a nostalgic picture of familiar landscapes like old barns, tobacco patches, and the specific, winding journey of the Kentucky Mountain Parkway.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Feb. 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 18 Feb. 2026.
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