whirl 1 of 2

noun

Definition of whirlnext
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

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2
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty so many changes at once had her all in a whirl

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stir
a state of noisy, confused activity lost an earring in the whirl of the party

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4
as in try
an effort to do or accomplish something I'm pretty good at fixing things, so how about if I give it a whirl?

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whirl

2 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wər(-ə)l How to pronounce whirl (audio)
1
as in to stir
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly whirled the chocolate syrup into the milk with a spoon

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2
as in to spin
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis the figure skater whirled his partner with effortless grace

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3
as in to rotate
to move in circles around an axis or center the gambler held his breath as the roulette wheel whirled

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4
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly cars whirling by on the highway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to swim
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around my mind whirled from all of the excitement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 whirl
Noun
Florida has a new niche industry to help those who can afford it get out of dodge before a hurricane whirls ashore. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026 Elsewhere in the park, there’s kayaking and fishing in the lake, biking trails and a possible whirl through the century-old American Swedish Historical Museum, which in winter hosts the outdoor Ebba Sparre Sauna pop-up. — Regan Stephens, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
The Argentina fans roused themselves, whirling their shirts above their heads. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 There are shirts being whirled all around me as disbelieving fans soak in the celebrations with their squad. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for whirl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirl
  1. rotation
  2. confusion
  3. stir
  4. try
  5. swirl
  6. spin
  7. rotate
  8. speed
Noun
  • The Astros’ rotation is in such a state that ruling anyone out as a candidate to start games seems silly, but their actions indicate Imai is something of a last resort.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The 25-year-old Whisenhunt isn’t capitalizing on his opportunity to earn staying power in San Francisco’s rotation.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotation
Noun
  • The new on-pitch laws… There was confusion at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium in the first round of the Carabao Cup, when substitute Fin Cartwright was held back from entering the pitch straight away.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The confusion is that Italian etiquette is not the same as Italian-American etiquette, where the continuing use of the spoon is not uncommon.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • The Oscars smooch caused a stir in the media, but Haven later denied that there was anything untoward at play.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The news has caused a stir on the island, where Cubans have been paying for medicines on the black market for years after the government reduced the production and import of medicines amid the economic crisis.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of stir
Noun
  • Three late tries helped the Wallabies turn a 21-17 halftime lead into a 39-point victory, giving the Australians a three-match winning streak for the first time since 2024.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Gore suggests treating the first few tries like a mini experiment.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of try
Verb
  • In the days after Ocasio-Cortez began documenting her egg-freezing, rumors swirled around her relationship status.
    — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Collectible, colorful, and wonderfully over the top, their swirling pattern brings personality to any pour.
    — Mina Dragani, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of swirl
Verb
  • That was a move partly instigated to develop a new crop of fast bowlers, but a home series defeat to Bangladesh two years ago and the loss of the first Test to England in October 2024 prompted the PCB to switch to spin-friendly tracks.
    — Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • His approach, and the propaganda machine that has spun it as a law-and-order success story, has turned Bukele into an international figure, and cast leaders like Petro and Cepeda, who helped design Petro’s strategy, as soft on crime.
    — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of spin
Verb
  • Both sides rotated halfway through, giving two ‘starting XIs’ 60 minutes of game-time each, balancing the load out equally across their squads.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Then rotate your torso and bring the weight down to the opposite hip.
    — Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotate
Verb
  • There’s enough footage from the prior films to get you up to speed quickly, and none of the individual story arcs matter nearly as much as the larger sense that each season of human life is worthy of its own naturalistic exploration.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Manage Stress — Some stress is inevitable, but being in chronic fight-or-flight can speed up brain aging and inflammation build up.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of speed

Browse Nearby Words

whir
whirl
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Cite this Entry

“Whirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirl. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of whirl for Spanish Speakers

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