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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in revolving
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 flying
to proceed or move quickly
cars whirling by on the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
The video then cuts to two Apache helicopters whirling up.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 2026
Festivities typically include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions, and baile folklórico, or folkloric ballet, with whirling dancers wearing bright, ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
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 whirling metal blades dominate the front yard with more frenzy movements than a four-year-old rushing to the bathroom.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
They got engaged, and later married during the set, surrounded by the artist and whirling revelers.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Lensky, danced by Wei Wang, steals your heart while whirling through impossible pirouette sequences.
—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Jan. 2026
Though lazy Susans are better known for their utility on the table, consider getting one for more flexibility and succinct storage space within corner cabinets for whirling out pots and pans.
—Alex Ronan, Architectural Digest, 1 Jan. 2026
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
Firefighters witnessed a rare ‘ash devil’ while battling the Trinity fire in San Bernardino County — a whirling column of hot ash and embers created when rising heat meets shifting winds.
—Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
The video then cuts to two Apache helicopters whirling up.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 May 2026
Festivities typically include parades, street food, block parties, mariachi competitions, and baile folklórico, or folkloric ballet, with whirling dancers wearing bright, ruffled dresses and their hair tied with shiny ribbons.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
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 whirling metal blades dominate the front yard with more frenzy movements than a four-year-old rushing to the bathroom.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
They got engaged, and later married during the set, surrounded by the artist and whirling revelers.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Lensky, danced by Wei Wang, steals your heart while whirling through impossible pirouette sequences.
—Rachel Howard, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Jan. 2026
Though lazy Susans are better known for their utility on the table, consider getting one for more flexibility and succinct storage space within corner cabinets for whirling out pots and pans.
—Alex Ronan, Architectural Digest, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirling
Adjective
-
Just like the boys, Nana was as giddy to feed the donkeys grass pellets that sold for a dollar a bag.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
Not as giddy While semis have gone vertical, the headline indexes have not gone nearly as far or as fast as in the '99 crescendo.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The dark matter By looking at how the emission lines in the spectrum were broadened by the Doppler effect, Nakajima and his colleagues measured that the gas is swirling around inside the galaxy at roughly 58 kilometers per second, a rather typical value for dwarf galaxies.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
Media reports are swirling that L’Oréal is in discussions to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, an Indian personal care company that includes brands such as Bare Anatomy, Chemist at Play and Sunscoop in its portfolio.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The third-year students spent nearly a year developing and refining the engine, which runs through continuous rotating explosions in a circular chamber.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
-
The worst of the severe weather is expected west and northwest of the Kansas City metro, where supercells (large, rotating thunderstorms) capable of producing hail and strong to intense tornadoes are most likely from central Kansas and southeast Nebraska into Iowa and northwest Missouri.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Longtime residents might remember the hot dogs and burgers making their way past eager students on field trips at the National Museum of American History’s revolving Carousel Cafeteria, or the large, greenhouse-like McDonald’s inside the Air and Space Museum.—
Fritz Hahn,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
-
So, for borrowers carrying revolving balances, that means the high cost of credit card debt isn't going anywhere either.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
These include serving as a flying test bed for in orbit manufacturing of alloys, composite materials, and fibers as well as research and production of space medicine.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
-
Bystanders, including young children, were forced to corner themselves inside the restaurant to avoid being struck by the flying chairs.—
Mike Stunson,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
During a recent experience, the eight mini games ranged from trivia to stacking foam blocks and from Nerf dart shooting to spinning a giant wheel for points.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
This setup would let researchers detect minute differences in the isotopes’ energy levels by examining nuances in the magnetic field created by each particle’s spinning nucleus, called the nuclear magnetic moment.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Over the years, he’s been cast as a newspaper reporter, a court bailiff, and a dizzy jury member, among other roles.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
-
By applying lower‑body compression, the garment helps counteract a common condition called orthostatic intolerance that causes astronauts to faint or feel dizzy following an extended mission in microgravity.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Return to a boil, gently stirring the gnocchi to prevent sticking.—
Kate Williams,
AJC.com,
18 May 2026
-
Set aside at room temperature, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is syrupy, about 30 minutes.—
Erin Merhar,
Southern Living,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirling. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
