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
Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Jacobson’s Willy is a whirl of insecurity, misplaced self-confidence and bewilderment at how his world has changed around him.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
The heady Moon whirls into your 6th House of Effort, highlighting habits that support productivity.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whirl
Noun
Stern writes with a manic whirl of comic images and sentences and ideas that are disturbing and hilarious and sometimes grim, all of the madness carefully, delicately constructed.
—Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
Jacobson’s Willy is a whirl of insecurity, misplaced self-confidence and bewilderment at how his world has changed around him.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
On the surface, at least, all of that would seem to make Karaban entirely ill-suited for Hurley – the orderly, math nerd introvert versus the whirling dervish extrovert.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
The heady Moon whirls into your 6th House of Effort, highlighting habits that support productivity.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whirl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirl
Noun
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Steele is now unlikely to rejoin the Cubs’ rotation until after the July All-Star break, Counsell estimated.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The right-hander, who has been the steadiest pitcher in the rotation, blanked the Washington Nationals over six innings in an 8-0 win.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As Mars pushes against Jupiter, doing too much creates confusion.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
But in the confusion and shock of the shutdown, few travelers appeared to notice, or make use of, the offers.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Noun
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White-Jacket did cause a stir with its discussion of the arbitrary and cruel use of flogging in the US Navy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Remove the foil and give the orzo another good stir, then bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the orzo is tender and creamy.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Los Angeles Angels walked off the Mets, 4-3, in the 10th inning on Saturday night at Angel Stadium, handing the Amazins’ their 18th loss in their last 22 tries.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
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After first settling in Iowa, Zama gave soccer another try.—
Krystle Rich,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The aqueous action scenes — cascades of water swirling around aerial charges — should play out nicely on the big screen during the film’s theatrical release.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
1 May 2026
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The water still trapped within the comet likely formed long before its host star, but 3I/ATLAS was born afterward from a protoplanetary disk of gas and dust that swirled around the star — the same disk where planets form, Salazar Manzano said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Even brand-name billionaire developer Rick Caruso’s $100 million-plus campaign war chest and spin on latter-day Rockefeller Republicanism couldn’t win him the mayoralty last go-around.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
2 May 2026
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Try Audible for free Hands caked with mud, fingertips diced by a thousand tiny cuts, and my wheels were spinning again.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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For Love in the Time of Cholera, 1989, for instance, Pau uses early Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology to frame clips from Zuni’s 1988 October/Decameron stage performance, which then float, rotate, and cascade across the screen.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
The collection includes thousands of pieces on rotating exhibit.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Verb
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This includes multilane expressways where cars speed alongside, and in some cases above, the water.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
While the Spurs also touted the NBA’s third-best offense this season, San Antonio’s ball handlers and shooters are capable of being sped up.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirl. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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