whirled

past tense of whirl
1
as in stirred
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 twirled
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
4
5
as in spun
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 whirled Throughout all this chaos, the Fleetwood Mac touring machine whirled on. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 The ram whirled, rushed down off his rocky pinnacle, and went by us. Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026 Dancers from Parsons whirled around in their stocking feet, finding their way through a crowd that included Astrid Hill, Chris and Christina Cuomo, and Lisa and Richard Perry. Vanessa Grigoriadis, Vanity Fair, 21 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 The final pool is a large open-air saltwater pool that whirled me around in its cool currents. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026 So Anikpo, a psychiatric physician assistant, didn't think to discuss the crackdown with their 9-year-old son Zeke, even as helicopters whirled over their South Minneapolis neighborhood. ABC News, 28 May 2026 Before Kate could respond, Emily whirled around and disappeared inside the house. Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026 Only problem was, teammate Trevor Zegras whirled the rookie around by the neck, and the rest of the Flyers mobbed the ice and pinned Martone against the boards in a wild celebration worthy of a playoff victory. CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirled
Verb
  • Over on Reddit and other online forums, Pitt’s return to drinking has stirred controversy, especially from people who are in recovery themselves or who grew up with loved ones who abused alcohol.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Yet Germany’s military buildup has stirred anxiety in France, while industrial rivalries have repeatedly frustrated joint projects.
    Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Humanoids marched, backflipped, and twirled nunchucks; robotic pandas gambolled.
    Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Sitting in front of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs today, Anthony Fauci twirled his pen.
    Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • The machine rotated a piece of wood, metal, or another material so that it could be shaped symmetrically with a cutting tool.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Last year, the Department of Energy sped up reactor permitting.
    Hanna Merzbach, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
  • According to a crash log, the crash happened as a black and green Ford Mustang sped north on I-435.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Resin pellets were melted and extruded to created thin fibers, before they were spun together into the yarn.
    Sarah Jones, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Just before midnight on Sunday night, another batch of storms spun up a damaging tornado hit about 50 miles southwest of Chicago in Ransom, Illinois.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The waters swirled fast around the car, reaching over the license plate.
    Albert Ramon, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Svelte white waitresses in generic Asian garb swirled around us.
    Karan Mahajan, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The inning should have been over after Bo Bichette swung on a bouncing pitch that went back to the backstop, but Washington catcher Keibert Ruiz threw the ball past first base, and Bichette was safe.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But this game’s hinges swung the other way when the Padres turned things around against Gavin Williams and Michael King turned things around against the Guardians.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • To its left, sausages revolved on chrome rollers; to its right, a human attendant in a brightly colored uniform looked patient and quizzical.
    Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Still, most gravitate toward the main pool, where the Delano's social scene has revolved for decades.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Whirled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirled. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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