whirling 1 of 2

as in giddy
having a feeling of being whirled about and in danger of falling down still whirling from the amusement park ride, I needed to sit down

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whirling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of whirl
1
as in swirling
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 rotating
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 spinning
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 whirling
Adjective
The magnetar was initially surrounded by a whirling disk of matter, funneling from its inner edge onto the stellar remnant. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
The love of two people wandering in the whirling blizzard, each in their own circle. — Yasushi Inoue, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026 The Cheesecake Factory notably did not acknowledge the political discourse whirling around it, and did not respond to CNN’s request for comment on the Tuscan mom aesthetic. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026 The night before our spaghetti dinner, Caleb sat me down by the cabin’s large, whirling fireplace and talked to me about meatballs for two hours. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Maybe my favorite styling element of all on this car is the whirling radiator fan sitting atop the engine, 917-style. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 15 Oct. 2026 The whirling magnetic states arise in these non-Heisenberg compounds partly because the local atomic environment creates a strong crystal electric field. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026 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 The sounds of generators humming and chain saws whirling filled the neighborhood Thursday afternoon. — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirling
Adjective
  • Episodes easily conveyed the filmmakers’ giddy excitement for the next big battle scene, the next big twist, and the next big moment in their Tolkien translation.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The film’s giddy opening moments fall into a tradition of New York movies that sweep us up, in a disorienting, intoxicating blur, into the city’s after-hours enclaves.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Questions are still swirling after a Sacramento steakhouse suddenly closed its doors, with a lawsuit from employees in tow.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026
  • That one image—blue oceans swirling with white clouds, landmasses without borders—reshaped the cultural imagination.
    — Andrew Zuckerman, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • That allows capabilities such as rotating the vehicle almost on the spot and maintaining directional stability when a tire suddenly loses pressure.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • My favorite spot to unwind was at Vilah, a bright café and coworking space on the 10th floor with a rotating Thai art exhibition.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Goldblum also joined the conversation in the comments, responding with a series of revolving heart emojis.
    — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Business credit cards Like traditional credit cards, business credit cards can cover everyday expenses and provide a revolving source of financing.
    — Dan Avery, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Rumors about the lineup had been flying around for weeks, as per usual in the fall, with multiple reports naming the eventual headliners while the festival stayed mum on the official report.
    — Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Flying cars arrive XPeng plans to introduce its two-seat flying vehicle for limited commercial use in the second half of 2027.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • By spinning up nostalgia for a kind of luxurious rap stardom that barely exists anymore, Baby Osamaa comes up with a sketch of what her own big-budget major label debut would look like.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • With low pressure already spinning away in the Gulf of Alaska, any stable atmosphere that moves east will pull that Gulf of Alaska low south, where it will quickly be saturated with extra moisture from El Niño and form an atmospheric river.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • After receiving the alpha-lipoic acid, Hawrylak felt confused and dizzy.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • To that end, there are questions about whether Mayich and his teammates had access to sufficient water and the degree of attention ASU paid to his initial symptoms, including feeling dizzy.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • ToruńCAMERIMAGE 2026 is taking a pluralistic approach to the subject by giving AI advocates and opponents equal time, and the programming appears more interested in stirring the pot and sparking discussion than taking a firm position.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Whirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirling. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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