1
as in swung
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis
absentmindedly twirled a lock of her hair around her finger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in rotated
to move in circles around an axis or center
an ice-skater twirling in place
Synonyms & Similar 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 twirled
Chicago Cubs rookie Cade Horton twirled another gem on Tuesday night – this time, at the expense of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
—
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Two go-go dancers twirled on a bar behind them.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
In one dugout, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner twirled changeups and heaved fastballs, asserting his dominance once again.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Belts and scarves can also be twirled and placed inside drawers or acrylic organizers, or, hung on closet rods with multi-tier hangers.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
Kenya Moore has twirled her way to Kenya with her 5-year-old daughter Brooklyn.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Oct. 2024
Then a series of brightly familiar guitar notes twirled up from the stage and hung suspended in the arena like a set of Christmas lights.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Two go-go dancers twirled on a bar behind them.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
In one dugout, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner twirled changeups and heaved fastballs, asserting his dominance once again.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Belts and scarves can also be twirled and placed inside drawers or acrylic organizers, or, hung on closet rods with multi-tier hangers.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
Kenya Moore has twirled her way to Kenya with her 5-year-old daughter Brooklyn.
—Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Oct. 2024
Then a series of brightly familiar guitar notes twirled up from the stage and hung suspended in the arena like a set of Christmas lights.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twirled
Verb
-
The officer swung his undercover truck around, radioing his team to converge on a man who was depositing a $50 bill into the machine.—
Avery Schmitz,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Over the last two years, his role and those expectations have swung the other way.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Carefully balancing the plate on his hand, Gardner gently rotated it so the collodion flowed evenly across the surface, from edge to edge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Wole didn’t understand, still smiling, and Jean rotated in her seat, toward Sylvester.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With hundreds of Elanco employees gathered with blue confetti at the ready, Indy, a rescue shelter dog turned service-dog-in-training, performed the official ribbon cutting, or in this case ribbon biting.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
-
When her biological daughter turned 7, however, something shifted.—
Nicole Chung,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Also, activity in the consumer discretionary sector revolved largely around megacap stocks—both those that pulled back in September, and those that posted strong rallies.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
-
For her take on enduring Grease style, Bieber revolved her going-out look around a boxy moto jacket—one of her signature wardrobe staples.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The junior quarterback was spun into the ground on the play and left the field with a trainer eyeing his right shoulder.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The party featured a surprise performance from Grammy-winning singer songwriter, Daniel Caesar, while DJ Sam French spun throughout the night.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After a Joey Estes fastball came near his head, Robles whirled around and chucked his bat at the pitcher.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Between events, Diamandis whirled around, making and cementing connections.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The star wide receiver made a 10-yard catch for a third-down conversion right along the right sideline and twisted his left leg beneath Malachi Moore as the New York safety made the tackle out of bounds.—
David Wilson,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
So, in an instant, Zeek twisted and pushed the barrel aside, but the robber grabbed his shoulder, firing a shot that cracked through the quiet.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Following their breakup, reports swirled that Renner was receiving upwards of $200,000 per month in child support — an astronomical figure that fueled debates across social media and sports media circles alike.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But by 2023, uncertainty swirled about Blackpink’s future.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Twirled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twirled. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share