as in vortex
water moving rapidly in a circle with a hollow in the center
in The Odyssey, Ulysses is trapped between the six-headed monster Scylla and Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool that threatens to suck in his ship
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Recent Examples of whirlpool
Access saunas, steam rooms and whirlpools for full relaxation.
—
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Observations of the two solar system gas giants have revealed that Jupiter's north pole hosts a central polar vortex surrounded by eight smaller vortices, while Saturn has a single, strangely hexagonal, massive atmospheric whirlpool over its north pole.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Its amenities include a restaurant and lounge with indoor and patio seating, a fitness center, indoor pool and whirlpool, business center, meeting spaces, and 354 parking spaces.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Skip pricey upgrades like custom built-ins, whirlpool tubs, and home theaters that don’t add lasting value.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whirlpool
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
Observations of the two solar system gas giants have revealed that Jupiter's north pole hosts a central polar vortex surrounded by eight smaller vortices, while Saturn has a single, strangely hexagonal, massive atmospheric whirlpool over its north pole.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Its amenities include a restaurant and lounge with indoor and patio seating, a fitness center, indoor pool and whirlpool, business center, meeting spaces, and 354 parking spaces.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Skip pricey upgrades like custom built-ins, whirlpool tubs, and home theaters that don’t add lasting value.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whirlpool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirlpool
vortex
Noun
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Try the West Fork of Oak Creek hike for a daylong adventure (with 11 rivers to cross), Broken Arrow Trail for an easier (yet no less scenic) stroll, or Boynton Vista Trail, which takes you to the Kachina Woman rock formation, one of the town’s four vortexes.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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Mitchell Arens’ cinematography simulates a fugue-like state that mirrors the vortex of grief that pervades through this heartrending film.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirlpool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirlpool. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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