Synonyms of swirling

swirling 1 of 2

adjective

as in spiraling

Related Words

• spiraling
• circling
• spiral
• coiled
• coiling
• looping
• zigzag
• twisting
• indirect
• twisted
• corkscrew
• zigzagging
• winding
• serpentine
• curved
• sinuous
• curving
• tortuous
• roundabout
• bending
• circuitous
• curled
• curling
• wandering
• curvy
• crooked
• jagged
• windy
• devious
• crazy
• rambling
• meandering
• uneven
• irregular

Dissimilar Words

• straight
• direct
• linear
• straightaway

swirling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of swirl

1

as in stirring

to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly

kept swirling her lemonade until the ice had melted and it was completely watered down

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stirring
• churning
• washing
• whirling
• shaking
• agitating
• whisking
• whipping
• reeling
• beating
• paddling
• wheeling

2

as in rotating

to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis

swirled her skirts as she danced the tango

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rotating
• twirling
• spinning
• twisting
• swinging
• turning
• whirling
• rolling
• revolving
• swiveling
• pivoting
• wheeling
• winding
• screwing
• reeling
• circulating
• cranking
• unscrewing
• coiling
• twiddling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of swirling

Adjective

After that feral beginning, the rest of the album is mostly contemplative, wistful, and understated, amid cascading guitars and various sounds that are at times acoustic or gently swirling. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026

The spacecraft is designed to survive temperatures approaching -290°F (-179°C), methane rainfall and swirling hydrocarbon dust. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

The grains also create complex swirling patterns that turns this motion into heat, resulting in chaos or turbulence. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026

This look is created by the galaxy's internal, swirling motion. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026

Known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, or KHI, the swirling patterns could explain enduring solar mysteries, such as why the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, is much hotter than its surface. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026

Eager to escape the swirling rumors before Monday’s MLB trade deadline, the 26-year-old outfielder plugged his phone into its charger and went to the gym. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026

The bottom is a swirling mosaic, done by Swiss artist Nicolas Party, a Euro-summer take on the iconic aquatic style of David Hockney. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026

Verb

Starting Friday, the strong wind shear that’s been swirling in the Atlantic all season and keeping most storms at bay is expected to pick up again, wearing away at Dolly. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Eyewitness footage recorded from the village of Verzeille captured a tornado forming and swirling beneath a violent supercell thunderstorm south of the southern French city of Carcassonne on August 24, 2026. — CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026

The swirling foam and the crashing white water behind him resemble a snow avalanche. — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Tropical Storm Moke was swirling past Hawaii on Sunday, close enough to dump heavy rain on Big Island communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Lala. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

For some longtimers in the Chicago legal community, the controversy swirling around Hogan is deja vu all over again. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

The What podcast, shared an update with fans amid swirling rumors that the beloved fest had been canceled. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Cline and Stokes began filming on the teen mystery and adventure series in 2019, and dating rumors were already swirling by the time the series premiered on Netflix in April 2020. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Aug. 2026

New York — Family drama is swirling around the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026