as in coils
to follow a circular or spiral course
a narrow road spiraling up the mountain to the summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 spirals
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Ibsen’s play takes place in George and Hedda’s front room over a two-day period, and the only nighttime debauchery happens offstage at one of Judge Brack’s bachelor parties, which spirals out of control when Lovborg gets into a fight at a brothel and loses his manuscript on the walk back to town.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Russell, for her part, can match Sewell’s intensity without uttering a word, as in a scene where Kate silently unpins her hair while Hal spirals out over Grace’s VP offer.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
The thriller centers on Yura Ivalu (Lambe), an ambitious Inuk multimedia artist who spirals out of control when an estranged childhood friend, Sesi Ilupaalik, played by Qaunaq, resurfaces.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
Travel hiccups, tech glitches or a conversation that spirals a lot faster than intended could easily push your buttons.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
Ibsen’s play takes place in George and Hedda’s front room over a two-day period, and the only nighttime debauchery happens offstage at one of Judge Brack’s bachelor parties, which spirals out of control when Lovborg gets into a fight at a brothel and loses his manuscript on the walk back to town.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Russell, for her part, can match Sewell’s intensity without uttering a word, as in a scene where Kate silently unpins her hair while Hal spirals out over Grace’s VP offer.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
The thriller centers on Yura Ivalu (Lambe), an ambitious Inuk multimedia artist who spirals out of control when an estranged childhood friend, Sesi Ilupaalik, played by Qaunaq, resurfaces.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spirals
Noun
-
So all the curves seem to be following this exponential upward slope.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
10 Nov. 2025
-
That produced direct, responsive steering around sweeping curves and over hills.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Beyond installing coils or rails, the process requires road resurfacing, upgraded power lines, and new grid interface points.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
So far, the system has powered a truck, van, car and bus — all equipped with special pickup coils.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Drivers can take two scenic routes to Arraial do Cabo—either the northern road that winds through rolling hills or the southern one that follows the coastline.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Part of the Great American Rail-Trail, this section winds through the historic mining towns of Wallace and Kellogg.—
Erin Gifford,
Outside,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The lights are dim and jazzy music swirls the intimate crowd.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
10 Oct. 2025
-
But as the trial date approaches and uncertainty swirls over what the lawsuit could mean for the future of stock car racing, many of the team owners expressed a feeling of urgency to see the litigation resolved and indicated the current charter system was vital for their continued existence.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Add English peas, flat-leaf parsley, and curls of lemon zest for extra character.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
-
MacLachlan has the visage of a much younger man, and Davis’s signature shiny brown curls are serving.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
What begins as a ritual to have their deepest wishes granted soon twists into a waking nightmare of survival and betrayal.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
-
But what's really cool is how the movie brings those story lines together in a narrative filled with intriguing twists, gnarly kills, heroic sacrifices and a slew of nifty new Predator designs.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spirals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spirals. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share