as in coils
to follow a circular or spiral course
a narrow road spiraling up the mountain to the summit
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Recent Examples of spirals
Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
That is, at least until life spirals you into the next higher tier of the lesson.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
Claire Foy plays Helen, who spirals emotionally after the death of her photographer father, Alisdair (Brendan Gleeson).
—Adam Graham, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Wright plays the overprotective mother Laura Sanderson in the Amazon Prime series, The Girlfriend, who spirals when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home his new mysterious girlfriend Cherry (Olivia Cooke).
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
However, the companion star eventually spirals close enough to the black hole to be spaghettified by its immense gravitational influence.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The Chair Company is an HBO series about a project manager who spirals down a conspiracy rabbit hole after an embarrassing incident at work.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Dec. 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
Verb
Inspired by true events, The Exiles will tell the story of a desperate Westerner who pursues greener pastures in Asia, instead finding greed, rivalry and ego that ultimately spirals into a shocking murder.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
That is, at least until life spirals you into the next higher tier of the lesson.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
Claire Foy plays Helen, who spirals emotionally after the death of her photographer father, Alisdair (Brendan Gleeson).
—Adam Graham, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Wright plays the overprotective mother Laura Sanderson in the Amazon Prime series, The Girlfriend, who spirals when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home his new mysterious girlfriend Cherry (Olivia Cooke).
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
However, the companion star eventually spirals close enough to the black hole to be spaghettified by its immense gravitational influence.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The Chair Company is an HBO series about a project manager who spirals down a conspiracy rabbit hole after an embarrassing incident at work.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Dec. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spirals
Verb
-
Dry all surfaces completely and replace knobs, drip pans, and coils back on the stove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Dressing a bump can be tricky, but Mosaku shines in the Louis Vuitton sequin gown that hugs her curves.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The designers embedded soft curves into the interior—via archways and other architectural details—to break up the otherwise deep, narrow structure of the house.—
Annabelle Dufraigne,
Architectural Digest,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The annual march, which winds 3 miles through the city’s picturesque historic district, draws tens of thousands of revelers and blends the best parts of a family reunion and football tailgate.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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He is represented by more than 20 lawyers as his case winds itself through the federal court system, as well as within immigration courts, which are housed under the Justice Department.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As for glam, the actress’ blond hair was styled with soft barrel curls that cascaded down her shoulders.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
However, the constant tension on my hair can have my curls feeling dry and in need of intense moisture.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To load the product onto the brush, Barnes swirls the tool into the pan twice and taps it twice to prevent fallout.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The lights are dim and jazzy music swirls the intimate crowd.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
People started uploading videos of their treats, showing colorful soft serve twists of an ice cream and alcoholic mixture in a giant margarita glass, and getting hundreds of thousands of likes.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Ease your way into the evening with an aperitivo at the Terrace Bar, which serves some wildly inventive cocktails as well as subtle twists on the classics, like a Tuscan Spritz with Amaro Santoni, prosecco, soda water, and rosemary.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spirals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spirals. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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