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
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2
as in rotated
to move in circles around an axis or center
an ice-skater twirling in place
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of twirled
Sun Ra twirled, his arms and wrists as fluid as a showgirl’s.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Hannah Mae Speaker, of Portage, twirled on stage as Glinda from The Wizard of Oz.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Kiara hugged me hard, then twirled me around to check out my outfit.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Saliva, a yawn, even the sound of hair being twirled crackles with intensity thanks to Julij Zornik’s stark sound design.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2025
In the video, which reached over 2 million views as of Tuesday, Stubby twirled with excitement, showing off his fresh look.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
After the brother-sister duo twirled together, Dylan’s partner on the show, Daniella Karagach, stepped in to finish the routine.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Wings fluttered, tutus twirled and butterfly clips bobbed atop tiny heads as tiny hands, stained with chalk, turned the worn road into a living storybook.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 10 Nov. 2025
As the routine twirled to a close, Olivia ran back, embracing her older brother to thunderous applause.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Hannah Mae Speaker, of Portage, twirled on stage as Glinda from The Wizard of Oz.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Kiara hugged me hard, then twirled me around to check out my outfit.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Saliva, a yawn, even the sound of hair being twirled crackles with intensity thanks to Julij Zornik’s stark sound design.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 4 Dec. 2025
In the video, which reached over 2 million views as of Tuesday, Stubby twirled with excitement, showing off his fresh look.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
After the brother-sister duo twirled together, Dylan’s partner on the show, Daniella Karagach, stepped in to finish the routine.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025
Wings fluttered, tutus twirled and butterfly clips bobbed atop tiny heads as tiny hands, stained with chalk, turned the worn road into a living storybook.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 10 Nov. 2025
As the routine twirled to a close, Olivia ran back, embracing her older brother to thunderous applause.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twirled
Verb
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Eventually, though, the pendulum swung the other way, as the chunky, shell-toed shoe fell out of fashion, making way for the the return of the streamlined Samba.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
20 Feb. 2026
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Cue bedlam as the momentum swung decisively Wrexham’s way in a title race that had seen both teams already reach 100 points.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Illini were without two starters and rotated just six players for all but the 57 seconds that freshman guard Brandon Lee was on the court.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Four of the cameras faced the panel, and one rotated to join another fixed on an audience who had been provided NFL jerseys of various teams to wear, but only for the evening.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Adventurous souls tried tackling a rotating rock-climbing wall, which slowly spun as the climber stretched for the blue, pink and purple holds.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
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Great Britain had to win to stay alive for the medal round, and won on an amazing throw by skip Rebecca Morrison, who banked her stone off a wide blocking stone and spun it right.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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City records going back to 2017, released to The Bee, in August show Karl Lysinger’s problems with the city revolved initially around his refusal to buy its water.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
18 Nov. 2025
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Beyond just apartments, the conversation in many races revolved — and diverged — around candidates’ attitudes toward growth in general.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Pranks have turned into memes and other visual online jokes that barely involve active communication.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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This blend of folklore and physics effectively turned a cultural holiday into a showcase for national industrial prowess.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The journey started as a boy in Chicago, where sirens whirled through Rizzs’ neighborhood when the White Sox won the pennant in 1959.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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In a desperate attempt to protect her baby, the victim whirled around, confronted Aherne and grabbed the knife in the stranger’s hand, her infant child falling from the changing table onto the floor during the scuffle, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tech companies have denied the allegations made in the lawsuit and say internal documents are being twisted to portray them as villainous when there are other factors, such as childhood trauma, leading to the mental health issues of some of their users.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Hairstylist Bryce Scarlett pulled it back from her face and twisted it into a low updo with tiny, delicate curling tendrils on either side of the star's face, allowing the gown to shine from the front but adding beautiful detail at the back.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Aliens remain topic of interest Questions around the existence of aliens and life beyond Earth have swirled for years, with interest reignited by recent hearings on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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As scrutiny over the NBA All-Star Game swirled, Anthony Edwards expressed skepticism that this year’s new format would finally improve the level of competitiveness.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Twirled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twirled. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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