spiraling 1 of 2

variants or spiralling
Definition of spiralingnext

spiraling

2 of 2

verb

variants or spiralling
present participle of spiral

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 spiraling
Adjective
Violent confrontations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota are being driven by outside actors exploiting chaos, not organic protest, according to a protest insider warning that the situation is rapidly spiraling. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026 Demonstrations broke out over the near-collapse of the rial and spiraling economic conditions but grew to become a larger movement against the regime. Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026 In our seminar, Bolin later showed a visualization of 3I/ATLAS's orbit around the galaxy — no neat ellipse, but rather a looping, spiraling path distorted by encounters with gas clouds, spiral arms and dark matter. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
The men’s basketball team is spiraling into next week’s Big Ten tournament, while the USC women were already eliminated in theirs. Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026 What begins as an impossible heist gets much worse, spiraling into an all-out war of strategy, deception and survival. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026 Mitchell had been spiraling since his father died, according to his sister, Maranda Mitchell-Gutzmer. USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026 The central chord progression’s pads and low-end synths begin at low volumes and swell upward as that resonant grain bites into the mix, the latter doing so with gate and delay effects before spiralling back downward. Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2026 But both episodes will go down in state history as poorly handled, bungled beyond all understanding, the two shoves on our back that sent us spiraling out of control. Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 7 Mar. 2026 Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP Virtually everyone in the room agreed that the industry needs to be saved from the spiraling costs associated with the onset of NIL payments and that a bill called the SCORE Act, which has struggled to pass the House, could be the base of any change. CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026 In a spiraling feedback, warmer water melts sea ice, allowing more sunlight into the ocean, warming it faster; 2025 had the lowest winter peak of Arctic sea ice on record and the third-lowest minimum extent of Antarctic ice. Michael Wysession, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026 De-escalation or spiraling tensions? Anniek Bao, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiraling
Adjective
  • The war in Iran is driving global inflation concerns as energy costs spiral.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Informal landscapes often feature winding paths made of mulch, fieldstones, log rounds, or even mowed turf.
    Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Frustrated residents struggled to navigate shifting poll sites, downed websites and long, winding election lines.
    Jamie Landers, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • And, everywhere, warm and cold fronts rub against each other, setting off still more swirling changes.
    Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse Surrounded by the swirling storms of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Billie Jo is striving to survive after a terrible accident takes her mother’s life.
    Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Look to Hermès for a fresh take on jewelry styling by coiling a silk scarf around a pendant and pairing with a simple button-up and trousers.
    Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • But comparing the modern-day impact of opera and ballet to that of film would be like comparing curling to NFL football.
    Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Steve Emt of Hebron and his mixed doubles wheelchair curling partner Laura Dwyer of Team USA are headed to the bronze medal game at the Paralympics in Italy after losing to South Korea 6-3 Tuesday morning in the semifinal match at Cortina Olympic Curling Stadium.
    Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The chill all-day Mediterranean spot is Manja, noted by its huge, curving aqua pizza oven and porch swings.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Last June, Naomi Welikala noticed a line curving around the block of her local American Legion, an unassuming building that rarely invited commotion.
    Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Tight baseline battles, pressure from Shelton and counterattacks from Ruud, using the violent topspin of those big looping forehands.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Maggie Daley Park Chicago The quarter-mile outdoor skating ribbon in Maggie Daley Park—with 27,500 feet of ice surface—is a looping path with slight elevation changes that curves past pine trees, a rock climbing wall, and a gorgeous city view.
    Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 4 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spiraling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiraling. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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