Thesaurus results for TWIRLING

twirling

verb

present participle of twirl

as in rotating

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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as in revolving

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 twirling Schlittler sent his hometown Red Sox packing last October, striking out 12 while twirling eight scoreless innings in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026 At one point, he could even be seen lifting her up and twirling her around the beach. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 Appearing in the stands at Arrowhead Stadium, Swift could be seen twirling her wedding ring around her finger. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 15 Sep. 2026 The last time these two met in Tuscaloosa was in 2024, when the Tide won 41-34 on Ryan Coleman-Williams 75-yard, twirling touchdown catch-and-run. — Justin Williams, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Einstein’s general theory of relativity dictates that a twirling black hole would bring spacetime along for the ride, warping it in a process known as the Lense-Thirring effect. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 Choreographer Lincoln Jones walked among them, hand to chin, thinking, and at times twirling alone as if chasing whispers. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 On any other man, this level of villainy could be mustache-twirling and cartoonish. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026 The mustache-twirling villain flees, both Half-ATs and full-on AT-AT Walkers come into play, and our hero and Grogu finish the job. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for twirling

Verb

Cherished relatives died alone in hospital rooms surrounded by sterile machines and an ever-rotating set of masked medical personnel.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
The news organizations take turns filming the president's activities -- rotating in alphabetical order by network name -- and distributing that footage to the other members.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of rotating

Verb

According to the suit, the video depicts the staff member grabbing a Black student from behind, spinning him around, grabbing him by the shirt and shoving him repeatedly into the metal roll-down door of a concession stand.

— Eric Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
How a flywheel energy storage system works Qnetic’s alternative to the lithium-ion battery consists of a flywheel, or a heavy rotor, capable of spinning at supersonic speed in a frictionless vacuum chamber.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of spinning

Verb

For much of the 1990s and 2000s, Guatemala had been twisting its way toward democracy, but corruption networks and drug traffickers had insinuated themselves into the country’s institutions.

— Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
But Mulderrig’s red Harley-Davidson Sportster slammed into the rear passenger side of Oates’ Cadillac, crumpling the back corner and twisting the wheel out of shape.

— Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of twisting

Verb

Clemons had served as the founding CEO of both ConnCAT and ConnCORP, turning them into hubs for economic and community revitalization that aimed to center the experiences and needs of residents in New Haven’s Dixwell and Newhallville neighborhoods.

— P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
But Rattler fumbled right before crossing the goal line, turning the ball over.

— Joel Beers, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of turning

Verb

Of the five moves, the one that immediately addresses the injury concerns swirling around the Panthers’ program is the addition of Simpkins.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026
There’s a lot of commotion swirling around you, and much of the drama may not even involve you directly.

— Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of swirling

Verb

The combat scenes, frequently pitting Latif’s sharpened steel against more popular American weaponry, are staged with whirling verve, wit and, best of all, balletic coherence.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
The room grows as silent as this whirling slot machine of a city can get.

— Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of whirling

Browse Nearby Words

twirled

twirling

twirls

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“Twirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twirling. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of twirling

verb

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