1
as in rotation
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point
the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
so many changes at once had her all in a whirl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stir
a state of noisy, confused activity
lost an earring in the whirl of the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in to rotate
to move in circles around an axis or center
the gambler held his breath as the roulette wheel whirled
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly
cars whirling by on the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whirl
Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026
Although quite a few movies have taken place against the whirl of the Cannes Film Festival, only a handful have been shot within sanctioned festival spaces — often because of artistic, logistical and financial constraints.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 2026
Before Kate could respond, Emily whirled around and disappeared inside the house.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for whirl
Noun
Victoria and her fiancé made arrangements for a babysitter to watch their 5-month-old son and brought her ticket to the Maryland Lottery's headquarters in Baltimore for her chance to give The Big Spin Wheel a whirl.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 26 May 2026
Although quite a few movies have taken place against the whirl of the Cannes Film Festival, only a handful have been shot within sanctioned festival spaces — often because of artistic, logistical and financial constraints.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Verb
The video then cuts to two Apache helicopters whirling up.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 2026
Before Kate could respond, Emily whirled around and disappeared inside the house.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for whirl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirl
Noun
-
While an underperforming offense has been frustrating to watch, Hoyer views the state of the rotation as the bigger concern over the long term.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
The new starting rotation of Chris Sale, Martín Pérez, Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and JR Ritchie figures to get a lengthy trial.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
If your title feels vague, create a one‑line summary and use it consistently in messages so your contributions land without confusion.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
State election officials and county administrators have warned that the conflicting instructions could create confusion for local election offices and potentially invite litigation if the issue is not resolved before voting begins.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Ukraine’s kit at Euro 2020 also caused a stir because part of its design featured an outline of the country that included Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014 but still widely recognised as part of Ukraine.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
The expulsion of five diabetes experts from the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans earlier this week caused quite a stir.—
Alex Hogan,
STAT,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Clemson's Shantae Foreman leaped 46 feet, 7 inches on her sixth and final try to win the triple jump.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
-
The Knicks simply could not make a shot, missing on 16 of their first 18 tries and each of their first 11 two-point attempts.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
In the video, Jelly Roll addressed their divorce and rumors swirling around their split.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
Blue and orange confetti swirled through the air during the parade.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The most common way to enrich uranium is by spinning uranium gas in a centrifuge, where lighter U-235 separates from the heavier U-238.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
In fact, some are doing little to hide their skepticism – and, in some cases, outright frustration – with the memorandum of understanding, which White House officials hope to spin into a more lasting peace agreement and nuclear accord.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Keep a core of year-round basics, then rotate a few season-specific pieces in and out as the weather turns.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
-
Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney found that rotating and restacking layers of hBN can significantly alter the color and wavelength of light emitted by quantum emitters embedded within the material.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Members of the European Parliament voted 418 to 218 Wednesday with 30 abstentions to approve the Return Regulation, a measure designed to speed up the removal of third-country nationals who are staying illegally in the European Union.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
-
Internal decisions are speeding up, and work that once stretched across days can now happen in minutes.—
Patricia Camden,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirl. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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