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
Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
Soon, however, the spiral began to tighten.
—Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
Gregg Ward, executive director at The Center for Respectful Leadership, told Newsweek that such disputes can quickly spiral if handled poorly.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The resulting look was a volume-packed, fluffy head of tiny spiral curls that could be dramatically teased.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Verb
Raw, sweaty, and steeped in debauchery, the track chronicles a spiral of booze, heartbreak, and nights lost in a haze of resistol fumes, all layered with his signature gritty rap flow.
—Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
Soon, however, the spiral began to tighten.
—Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The film, which stars Joel Edgerton in a supporting turn, follows a socially awkward tween who is forced to endure a ruthless hierarchy at a water polo camp, causing his anxiety to spiral into psychological turmoil over one summer.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
Gregg Ward, executive director at The Center for Respectful Leadership, told Newsweek that such disputes can quickly spiral if handled poorly.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
Kids ages three and up will love all the special touches such as a huge three-story spiral slide, pool, dedicated pet area with its own slide and a working elevator.
—Nora Colomer
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
The resulting look was a volume-packed, fluffy head of tiny spiral curls that could be dramatically teased.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral
Verb
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Mora scored twice against Spain to rescue a draw in the group stage, first skipping into the box after a nutmeg and a neat one-two and curling into the corner before a snapshot volley at the far post.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Fans of curling, figure skating, and a weird sport where people ski and then fire a gun are eagerly anticipating February 2026 for the return of the Winter Olympics!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Thake took a long and winding trip down the memories of South Yorkshire football, a path which eventually led him to the living room of a shy, almost reclusive Rotherham man called Terry Moran.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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The Didi and Gogo that Sparks and Shannon created were full of blood and bile, real people with — no matter how obscured in its details by time and circumstance — a long and winding relationship.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For young tight ends especially, the biggest learning curve out of college is understanding how to block in the NFL.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Baesakul symbolized the interconnection of humans and nature through an interlaced motif interpreted as leather lacing or metal hardware and applied to contemporary shapes that take cues from the Eiffel Tower’s silhouette, the curve of a capybara’s back or even the form of Baesakul’s pet corgi.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Enormous ventilation pipes were coiled like snakes on the roof of the building.—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
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Anyway, because of the *slightly* complex situation with the aneurysm (nothing bad, just not typical), it wasn’t coiled that weekend.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The brand, which recently became first denim brand to achieve the TESTEX Circularity Label, says this circular loop process reduces CO₂ emissions by 47 percent, saves up to 90 percent water compared to industry standards and cuts waste.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Oct. 2025
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According to Carscoops, early renderings reveal a low-slung front end, circular headlights, a modest front grille, and a compact cockpit, complemented by wing mirrors perched high on the A-pillars.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 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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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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Wolff himself had a winding career before becoming top brass for Mercedes’ F1 team.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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That first trip began in Miami and wound north toward Big Talbot Island, Lake Apopka, and the Wekiva River.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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At night, the helical patterns look adorned with ribbons of LED lighting, transforming the bridge into a shimmering sculpture that reflects in the waters below.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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Any irregularity or jagged appearance in the helical area typically reflects changes in the shape or integrity of the cartilage beneath.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiral. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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