whirling 1 of 2

adjective

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
as in revolving
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 flying
to proceed or move quickly cars whirling by on the highway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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 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 Too bad then that Sophie is such a softie, secretly inviting the whirling dervish to their two days of rest and relaxation. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026 Twenty-four hours later, my brain is still whirling over yesterday’s stunning news from Merck and Moderna about the success of their personalized mRNA cancer therapy in a melanoma late-stage clinical trial. — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirling
  1. giddy
  2. swirling
  3. rotating
  4. revolving
  5. flying
  6. spinning
  7. dizzy
  8. stirring
Adjective
  • How better to sum up that generation’s giddy way of spackling together outfits?
    — The Learning Network, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, quarterback Bryce Young thudded to earth after his giddy five-game start.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of giddy
Verb
  • A lot is swirling leaguewide, and Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly.
    — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Rumors are also swirling around about the later iPhones’ Dynamic Island camera housing coming to these MacBook Pro models.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of swirling
Verb
  • To deliver for employees, fill that chair with a real employee, rotating regularly, with a mandate to gather input from their peers before and after every session.
    — Deborah Lovich, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Moving forward is one thing, but moving up and down, changing direction, and rotating in place is a whole different challenge.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotating
Verb
  • 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
  • This part of the invoice financing process functions similarly to a revolving line of credit.
    — Andrew Coon, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolving
Verb
  • Reporting from Tel Aviv Shlomit Ofir is one of the many Israelis flying in from abroad to cast their votes in today’s election.
    — Yarden Segev, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Air Force puts the missile’s range at approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers), allowing aircraft to launch it from a considerable distance rather than flying directly over hostile territory.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Literature, theater and operas furthered her interest in spinning tales of her own.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
  • With tweezers, the scientists gently pulled the strand of silk from the spider’s spinnerets — the abdominal spigots that fibers emerge from — and reeled it in by winding it around a vial with a spinning motor.
    — Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of spinning
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
Definition of dizzy
Verb
  • Add 1 cup orzo and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Andrew Durand, with his handsome crab-apple features, makes a perfectly quizzical Benjamin; Kelsee Kimmel is stirring as his true love, who shares his age just once.
    — Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stirring

Browse Nearby Words

whirled
whirling
whirlpool
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Cite this Entry

“Whirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirling. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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