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

Relevance
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
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 nurturing Moon stirs your 11th House of Friends, squaring intense Pluto in your 8th House of Intimacy, so loyalty may clash with privacy, money, or emotional bandwidth.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
  • Atlantic tropics are quiet while Pacific stirs In the Atlantic basin, forecasters are predicting a quiet stretch of weather.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • With smoke streaming from his mouth and nose, McTominay twirls the delighted older man around.
    Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
  • The Manchester City taliswoman then twirls her arm before knee sliding in front of the travelling fans.
    Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Convection involves turbulent eddies of warm air rising from the ground into the atmosphere above, and latent heat involves the absorption or release of energy from a phase change without the temperature changing.
    Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Brunello Cucinelli kept fits classic (straight legs, slight cuffs) and washes light.
    Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 July 2026
  • The vacuum and mop combo is a hands-free robot that auto-empties dirt into a 3-liter bag, self-washes the mop rollers, and auto-refills the water chamber for the next cleaning session.
    Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • The band rotates through instruments, including alpenhorns, cow bells, and a xylophone, and invites guests onto the floor to polka.
    Jacqueline Dole, Southern Living, 10 July 2026
  • The author rotates in and out of the lives of her cast, teasing out perspectives, manifesting the notion that friendships are what hold us together, year in, year out.
    Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • Those grants are then used to protect IT systems from foreign and domestic cyberattacks, update voting systems, ensure the accuracy of voter rolls and protect the integrity of ballots after they are cast.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Expect truffle pizza, lobster rolls, seafood towers, bottle specials, and French Mediterranean favorites alongside the skyline views.
    Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Verb
  • Using the Corsairs to strike a fortified naval port directly without risking human operators turns that tactic on its head.
    David Szondy July 13, New Atlas, 14 July 2026
  • The additional wattage turns the usual 2-D projection into a 3-D production.
    Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 14 July 2026
Noun
  • Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • At Montage Big Sky, a 139-room wood-and-stone main structure dispenses with antler chandeliers and wagon wheels in favor of easygoing American gentility.
    Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swirls. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on swirls

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster