as in spiraling
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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
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swirling
ABC News, 13 June 2026
Elevate your home office with a swirling burl wood desk.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026
This new image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the Messier 88 (M88) galaxy, also known as NGC 4501, in all of its swirling glory.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 10 June 2026
Scenes of furious sketching, intricate designs of delicate cutouts and swirling shapes and fabrics, pinning, sewing and the bustle of runway shows alternate with fretting about how to pay the rent.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 June 2026
The swirling graphic motifs are meant to symbolize the interconnectedness and diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
An unforgettable excursion is soaring over the Great Barrier Reef and Hill Inlet’s swirling silica sands on a scenic helicopter flight.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
How Andreeva — so talented, so young, and sometimes so not ready for the swirling intensity of a tennis match — manages those moments, will likely make the difference between fulfilling her potential and wondering about what could have been.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
This is the stuff of Grieg-like greatness, a swirling, modern epic for the ages.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Zack Sharf, Variety, 17 June 2026
Some other great ways to use it include thinning it with lemon juice and water for a salad dressing, drizzling it over roasted cauliflower or sweet potato, swirling it into a savory oatmeal, or using it as the base for noodle sauces.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 15 June 2026
Some views that the trillion-dollar IPO were overvalued were swirling ahead of SpaceX's debut.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 June 2026
Controversy is swirling in one Long Island village after Pride flags were taken down just as celebrations were ramping up.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 15 June 2026
The flickering of the quasar at different wavelengths is connected to variations in the temperature of the gas swirling around this black hole.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 12 June 2026
Rumors began swirling last week after comments from Scott's brother, Kyle Eastwood, reemerged on social media.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Plus, rumors are swirling that Prada may soon open a New York City expansion of its Prada Caffè.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 June 2026
Listen to the episode or read on below for more on what Sweeney thought about Cassie’s final monologue, the rumors swirling around about drama within the cast, and the pole dancing scene that didn’t make the final cut.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Adjective
Hyo Joo Kim and Hye-Jin Choi handled a swirling wind Saturday and made enough birdies to be among only six teams who broke par, posting a 1-under 69 in foursomes to build a one-shot lead in the Dow Championship.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
Elevate your home office with a swirling burl wood desk.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026
This new image captured by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the Messier 88 (M88) galaxy, also known as NGC 4501, in all of its swirling glory.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 10 June 2026
Scenes of furious sketching, intricate designs of delicate cutouts and swirling shapes and fabrics, pinning, sewing and the bustle of runway shows alternate with fretting about how to pay the rent.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 June 2026
The swirling graphic motifs are meant to symbolize the interconnectedness and diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
An unforgettable excursion is soaring over the Great Barrier Reef and Hill Inlet’s swirling silica sands on a scenic helicopter flight.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
How Andreeva — so talented, so young, and sometimes so not ready for the swirling intensity of a tennis match — manages those moments, will likely make the difference between fulfilling her potential and wondering about what could have been.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 June 2026
This is the stuff of Grieg-like greatness, a swirling, modern epic for the ages.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
Verb
Rumors then began swirling that Wilde and Pugh clashed on set over creative differences.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 17 June 2026
Some other great ways to use it include thinning it with lemon juice and water for a salad dressing, drizzling it over roasted cauliflower or sweet potato, swirling it into a savory oatmeal, or using it as the base for noodle sauces.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 15 June 2026
Some views that the trillion-dollar IPO were overvalued were swirling ahead of SpaceX's debut.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 June 2026
Controversy is swirling in one Long Island village after Pride flags were taken down just as celebrations were ramping up.
—Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 15 June 2026
The flickering of the quasar at different wavelengths is connected to variations in the temperature of the gas swirling around this black hole.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 12 June 2026
Rumors began swirling last week after comments from Scott's brother, Kyle Eastwood, reemerged on social media.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 12 June 2026
Plus, rumors are swirling that Prada may soon open a New York City expansion of its Prada Caffè.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 June 2026
Listen to the episode or read on below for more on what Sweeney thought about Cassie’s final monologue, the rumors swirling around about drama within the cast, and the pole dancing scene that didn’t make the final cut.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swirling
Adjective
-
The basic idea is that when anxiety spikes, pulling out a few sensory-engaging items can stave off panic by interrupting spiraling thoughts.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Still annoyed, weirdly offended, and slightly spiraling.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Roast until the berries soften and the juices become syrupy, 30-35 minutes, stirring once halfway through.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
22 June 2026
-
The Zoroastrian high priest responded by stirring a pinch of sugar into the milk without spilling a drop.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
As heat and humidity returned during the afternoon, the atmosphere rapidly recharged and thunderstorms evolved into rotating supercells capable of producing tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
-
Supper clubs, rotating potlucks and recurring gatherings have become the way people are eating, connecting and building community again, and when the conversation turns to hosting, one name still anchors it.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
While most are deflected, some particles spiral along magnetic field lines toward the poles, colliding with oxygen and nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Each episode centers around a new ‘book of the week,’ ranging from science fiction epics and romantasy sensations, to literary classics and underground cult favorites, before the conversations spiral far beyond the page.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
On any other man, this level of villainy could be mustache-twirling and cartoonish.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
The mustache-twirling villain flees, both Half-ATs and full-on AT-AT Walkers come into play, and our hero and Grogu finish the job.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
The main performance is scheduled to include aerial acrobatics, bondage, burlesque and drag performers from groups such as The Dragonettes, AKArts Collective and others with hypnotic live looping and vocal music from Morgan Sorne.—
Anne Schrager,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Feb. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
But there’s never any intention of protecting somebody, or spinning it in a certain way.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
But everything started with Maradona spinning away from two England players just inside the Argentina half with a lovely piece of skill.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Any number of odd, zigzag examples can be used to make the case that legislative districts in Wisconsin are excessively gerrymandered.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
17 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Swirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swirling. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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