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
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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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Recent Examples of swirling
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse Surrounded by the swirling storms of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Billie Jo is striving to survive after a terrible accident takes her mother’s life.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
The few cars that attempted to drive through the flood sputtered and died, bonnet-deep in swirling pondweed.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
The swirling, whirling mass approaches like a steam train, picking up thousands of tons of matter on its descent, throwing clouds of snow into the air as its gathers speeds of up to 130 kph (80 mph).
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
For a textured finish, Garcia suggests, start with a cat-eye base, and layer cured, clear finishing gel in soft, swirling lines across the nail.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 19 Feb. 2026
On top of each colored rectangle, a swirling, chalky pigment appears in marbled patterns, giving an organic effect.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
The new pair isn’t a one-to-one remake of the Air Foamposite One’s look, which featured a swirling mix of blues and purples.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 15 Feb. 2026
Instead, most overuse injuries emerge from a swirling mix of risk factors and warning signs and fluke missteps.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2026
In this state, atomic magnetic moments arrange themselves into swirling vortex patterns.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
Bonta’s move from the deep-blue state of California adds to the political backdrop swirling around big business, particularly Big Media at a time when President Trump himself regularly bashes mainstream entertainment and news outlets.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Confusion was swirling inside the center as investigators arrived with an incorrect warrant before more than 600 boxes of ballots, ballot images and voter rolls were taken from county officials.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Given the money swirling around the region, if the EU chooses to probe that particular element of the deal then it will be closely scrutinized, and could act as something of a test case for future deals.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2026
Guests during this year's bloom can also purchase farm experiences from a tractor wagon ride and blueberry picking to a swirling butterfly encounter.
—Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
The New York Jets seem unlikely to let the RB walk, with constant buzz swirling that New York wants to extend Hall and could elect to franchise-tag him.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
But there’s also a debate swirling around the best time of day to shower, with people on both sides insisting that their timing is ideal.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
And, everywhere, warm and cold fronts rub against each other, setting off still more swirling changes.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse Surrounded by the swirling storms of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Billie Jo is striving to survive after a terrible accident takes her mother’s life.
—Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
The few cars that attempted to drive through the flood sputtered and died, bonnet-deep in swirling pondweed.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
The swirling, whirling mass approaches like a steam train, picking up thousands of tons of matter on its descent, throwing clouds of snow into the air as its gathers speeds of up to 130 kph (80 mph).
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
For a textured finish, Garcia suggests, start with a cat-eye base, and layer cured, clear finishing gel in soft, swirling lines across the nail.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 19 Feb. 2026
On top of each colored rectangle, a swirling, chalky pigment appears in marbled patterns, giving an organic effect.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
The new pair isn’t a one-to-one remake of the Air Foamposite One’s look, which featured a swirling mix of blues and purples.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 15 Feb. 2026
Instead, most overuse injuries emerge from a swirling mix of risk factors and warning signs and fluke missteps.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
Highway seems to be a deliberate effort to pick up where the band left off, dialing back the guitar distortion to make space for swirling organ chords and surprisingly danceable beats.
—Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2026
In this state, atomic magnetic moments arrange themselves into swirling vortex patterns.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
Bonta’s move from the deep-blue state of California adds to the political backdrop swirling around big business, particularly Big Media at a time when President Trump himself regularly bashes mainstream entertainment and news outlets.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Confusion was swirling inside the center as investigators arrived with an incorrect warrant before more than 600 boxes of ballots, ballot images and voter rolls were taken from county officials.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
Given the money swirling around the region, if the EU chooses to probe that particular element of the deal then it will be closely scrutinized, and could act as something of a test case for future deals.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2026
Guests during this year's bloom can also purchase farm experiences from a tractor wagon ride and blueberry picking to a swirling butterfly encounter.
—Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
The New York Jets seem unlikely to let the RB walk, with constant buzz swirling that New York wants to extend Hall and could elect to franchise-tag him.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
But there’s also a debate swirling around the best time of day to shower, with people on both sides insisting that their timing is ideal.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swirling
Adjective
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Violent confrontations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota are being driven by outside actors exploiting chaos, not organic protest, according to a protest insider warning that the situation is rapidly spiraling.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Demonstrations broke out over the near-collapse of the rial and spiraling economic conditions but grew to become a larger movement against the regime.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mix flour and remaining 1/4 cup Guinness, stirring until smooth.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
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Versatile enough for a variety of cooking applications, wooden spoons are a staple to have in the kitchen, and this set includes 10-, 12-, and 14-inch sizes perfect for stirring a big pot of soup, sautéing veggies, or mixing up cake batters.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
France currently holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The brand’s model — rotating weekly flavors, oversized cookies, a pink box designed for unboxing content — was built for social media virality.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those concrete ramps, red girders and twirling towers.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
American rapper and producer Snoop Dogg received a guard of honor and was greeted with twirling white towels on Tuesday on his first visit to Swansea City since becoming an investor with the Welsh side last year.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This proximity allows the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to resolve remarkable details in the tightly wound spiral arms of the galaxy.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
4 Mar. 2026
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Our friends at Sam’s Club have your back with seasonal sweets, supplies, and dishes—even a spiral Easter ham, if that’s what your family enjoys—to make hosting easier this season.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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John Leguizamo has joined the head-spinning cast of Mike Flanagan’s untitled The Exorcist feature, Blumhouse-Atomic Monster and Morgan Creek Entertainment’s new take on the horror classic.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Mar. 2026
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The best highlight from almost any Notre Dame game was of Love, spinning or hurdling his way through defenders.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Use sharp, clean pruners to cut off stems rather than twisting or tearing them off.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Malinin swept himself up into one—an efficient, twisting spiral just above the surface of the ice.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Maggie Daley Park Chicago The quarter-mile outdoor skating ribbon in Maggie Daley Park—with 27,500 feet of ice surface—is a looping path with slight elevation changes that curves past pine trees, a rock climbing wall, and a gorgeous city view.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swirling. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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