Thesaurus results for SWIRLS

swirls 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of swirl

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

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

as in eddies

Related Words

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

Understanding the scope of human suffering and hopelessness in our world stirs a strong internal conflict between empathy and pragmatism.

— Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 23 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

Definition of stirs

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

Definition of twirls

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

Definition of eddies

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

Definition of washes

Verb

The White House pool, which rotates daily, is composed of a small group of reporters given close face-to-face access to the president during events.

— Joey Garrison, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026
This matter rotates in the same direction as the central young star, meaning planets that may emerge shuld also rotate in the same direction.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of rotates

Noun

Existing law also blocks most states from systematically purging voters from their rolls within 90 days of an election, said David Becker, an election law expert who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
The process for updating electoral rolls started last year in Bihar, where Modi and his allies won a landslide victory, winning more than 200 seats out of 243 in the state assembly.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of rolls

Noun

Link launched on July 3 but quickly ran into electronic problems that took out two of the three reaction wheels needed to turn the spacecraft.

— Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
The Sooners were driving to answer the score when the wheels started coming off for their offense on a second-and-goal at the Georgia 4.

— Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of wheels

Browse Nearby Words

swirling

swirls

swirly

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Swirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swirls. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of swirls

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fungible

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes