swirls 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of swirl
1
as in stirs
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

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2
as in twirls
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

swirls

2 of 2

noun

plural of swirl

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of swirls
Verb
Max Martin, Grande sings of blowing through breakups and make-ups and enduring mounting exhaustion with mass notoriety while the music swirls patiently and frequently angrily underneath. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 The galaxy's heart shines brightly in the image, with gleaming rays of light radiating from its center while gas and dust swirls around. Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 19 May 2026 Longoria’s approach to the wild fervour that continually swirls around the Velodrome was to try to harness it by hiring comparably combustible coaches like Jorge Sampaoli, Igor Tudor, Gennaro Gattuso and De Zerbi. Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026 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 Energy has had a tremendous five-year run, but investors have been cautious in 2025 as uncertainty swirls around policymakers. Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
Such a beautiful sculpture, mimicking the swirls found in nature (the cosmos, shells, Fibonacci-following topiary) felt a far cry from the swirl of emotions prompted by my favorite TV shows. Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swirls
Verb
  • The moody Moon stirs your 10th House of Career, while quirky Uranus activates your 4th House of Home, asking for balance between visibility and rest.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
  • While science is often perceived as cold and overly logical, for Schroeder its practice stirs a humility and appreciation for the vastness of nature and the depth of time.
    Brad Balukjian, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Inside, Benjamin Davalos twirls his measuring jigger and, with a turn of his wrist, releases a swallow’s worth of straight rye.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
  • With smoke streaming from his mouth and nose, McTominay twirls the delighted older man around.
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • The drive traverses the Bear River Mountains (a northern branch of the Wasatch), passing aspen groves, limestone cliffs, and the whitewater eddies of the Logan River along the way.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Tzikas pointed to the San Juan Rapids, Clay Banks and Sailor Bar areas as those with stronger currents and eddies that can throw individuals from their rafts and paddleboards or submerge them before shooting them rapidly downstream.
    Reeti Malhotra July 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • On the traditional-spa side, a JetPeel facial using Augustinus Bader products essentially pressure-washes my skin with nutrient-rich serums.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Continue reading … CREATOR'S REMORSE — TV legend Oprah washes her hands of any association with Dr Phil or Dr Oz.
    , FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The new Ryan Field rotates everything by 25 degrees to create a larger outdoor plaza area at each of its four corners.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Yet one explanation for the way the market rotates money from pocket to pocket rather than making outright progress is the fully committed positioning of the household investing sector.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • And this was despite the fact Jaques was simultaneously juggling being writer, director and star, his first year of high school exams and working on a market stall in Clapham selling donuts, pizza and sausage rolls.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • For instance, say a cask of ginger rolls through a trapdoor and lands on a poor laborer below.
    Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Nancy, who turns 49 in December, gets how to fire up the SEC base.
    Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • When the Farmer destroys the flock’s beloved pumpkin patch, Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, only for events to spiral out of control as a wild beast roams the woods of Mossingham.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • When the road becomes too tight for the eActros, Wagner can leave the motorhome behind and continue on two wheels.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The steering is heavier than something like a 296 but still feels very direct, with good feedback of the road conditions as the front wheels are experiencing them.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 20 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Swirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swirls. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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