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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of swirling
Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
The Patriots advanced with a 10-7 win against the Denver Broncos in the middle of a swirling snowstorm.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9½ minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that gave New England its first lead at 10-7.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2026
In the final seconds in the swirling snow, Stafford and the offense were just 13 yards away from a go-ahead touchdown and the NFC Championship Game.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
The wind was swirling, offense at a minimum for three-and-a-half quarters.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Walk through a tunnel of sharks and swirling schools.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Goetz appeared remarkably calm amid a swirling tornado, and multiple people, including Canty, would later comment on Goetz’s equipoise.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
As the Chiefs’ offseason got off to an earlier-than-normal start, Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending ACL injury and the uncertainty swirling around Travis Kelce’s future are being closely watched in Kansas City.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
And despite all the history swirling around her, Israa remains at the center of this film.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, questions are swirling about the Board of Peace, which was originally billed as a committee that would oversee the reconstruction of Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
And though rumors that the family wasn’t exactly seeing eye to eye have been swirling for a while, now Brooklyn has made the feud public.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Jan. 2026
By the time Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their senior royal duties in 2020, rumors of turmoil within the royal family were already swirling.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Eagle Creek Reservoir is the center of much of the controversy swirling around the state's plan to ship water to the LEAP district in Lebanon.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Jan. 2026
Rumors of Grand Canyon’s imminent addition began swirling last spring.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
And with a swirling snow falling in the second half which made scoring near impossible, the Broncos needed to grab points when the situation arose.
—Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
The Patriots advanced with a 10-7 win against the Denver Broncos in the middle of a swirling snowstorm.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9½ minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that gave New England its first lead at 10-7.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2026
In the final seconds in the swirling snow, Stafford and the offense were just 13 yards away from a go-ahead touchdown and the NFC Championship Game.
—Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2026
The wind was swirling, offense at a minimum for three-and-a-half quarters.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Walk through a tunnel of sharks and swirling schools.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Goetz appeared remarkably calm amid a swirling tornado, and multiple people, including Canty, would later comment on Goetz’s equipoise.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Verb
Cook, swirling skillet occasionally and reducing heat if browning too quickly or if oil is smoking, until deep golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
As the Chiefs’ offseason got off to an earlier-than-normal start, Patrick Mahomes’ season-ending ACL injury and the uncertainty swirling around Travis Kelce’s future are being closely watched in Kansas City.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
And despite all the history swirling around her, Israa remains at the center of this film.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, questions are swirling about the Board of Peace, which was originally billed as a committee that would oversee the reconstruction of Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war.
—Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
And though rumors that the family wasn’t exactly seeing eye to eye have been swirling for a while, now Brooklyn has made the feud public.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Jan. 2026
By the time Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their senior royal duties in 2020, rumors of turmoil within the royal family were already swirling.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Eagle Creek Reservoir is the center of much of the controversy swirling around the state's plan to ship water to the LEAP district in Lebanon.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Jan. 2026
Rumors of Grand Canyon’s imminent addition began swirling last spring.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swirling
Adjective
-
In our seminar, Bolin later showed a visualization of 3I/ATLAS's orbit around the galaxy — no neat ellipse, but rather a looping, spiraling path distorted by encounters with gas clouds, spiral arms and dark matter.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Bring to a gentle simmer; cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until flavors meld, 10–15 minutes.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook uncovered without stirring.—
Kelly Brant,
arkansasonline.com,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Bake tart on baking sheet, rotating front to back halfway through, until almonds and crust are deep golden brown, 45–55 minutes.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
For the remainder of the final season, Penny Marshall was paired with rotating guest stars for a series of comedic misadventures.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The trailer opens with the ominous tones on Also sprach Zarathustra and an image of a Presley nervously twirling his ring and tapping his foot.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
9 Dec. 2025
-
There was the six-member step team, two girls twirling flags and three more spinning rings.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Anya wrote this down in a spiral notebook, in her particular spiked cursive.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Their misadventures spiral into odd, escalating situations that would play better with sharper writing or more adventurous direction.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The buildings are packed with head-spinning amounts of material (OpenAI says the fiber-optic cable in its Stargate data center in Abilene, Texas, could circle the Earth 16 times) and designed from the ground up for AI.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Bainbridge spent about a year spinning her wheels.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Or maybe you'll be best suited by the moody, rocky shores of Central and Northern Cali, landscapes of twisting cypress trees and foggy-grey skies.—
Alanna Bennett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Jan. 2026
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To shovel safely, use ergonomic tools, take breaks, lift with your legs, and avoid twisting your body.—
Manahil Ahmad,
The Providence Journal,
25 Jan. 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
-
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 31 Jan. 2026.
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