1
as in rotations
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point
the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in fogs
a state of mental uncertainty
so many changes at once had her all in a whirl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity
lost an earring in the whirl of the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in attempts
an effort to do or accomplish something
I'm pretty good at fixing things, so how about if I give it a whirl?
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in twirls
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 rotates
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 scurries
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 whirls
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
Water vortices, such as whirlpools, are little water whirls that spin around.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Yates punched the air, running back and forth across the stage and propelling into leaps and whirls.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
The congregation writhes, sometimes in unison, and whirls and stomps; at one point, a line of folks snake through a doorway and into the foreground, as the camera rotates in the opposite direction.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
Water vortices, such as whirlpools, are little water whirls that spin around.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Yates punched the air, running back and forth across the stage and propelling into leaps and whirls.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirls
Noun
-
The layout ensures that every fan in the venue had a good view, and the members incorporated rotations throughout their choreography for an immersive experience (even Dahyun, who was seated for most of the show due to an ankle injury).—
Kristine Kwak,
Rolling Stone,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Seasonal décor rotations are a fun way to utilize the space above kitchen cabinets.—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Barresi and Cuellar hold each other up with palpable tenderness, each one crafting a long, poignant arc from innocence through the fogs and thorns of experience.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Santos let 13 shot attempts fly, including 1-of-6 from behind the arc.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Bane specifically has seen a decrease in long-range accuracy and number of open attempts as well, something Carter mentioned.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Paul Mescal stirs as the Bard, complete with an earring, but his co-star Buckley breathes heart-wrenching life into Hamnet.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Your 4th House of Family gets busy as information-gathering Mercury stirs plans, while auspicious Jupiter highlights your 10th House of Accomplishments.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shauna Martel, a teaching assistant at the Osher Map Library twirls a massive globe around and points to Australia.—
Jackie Northam,
NPR,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Adley, who at Marigold rotates dishes regularly, is enticing diners to Heretik with a chicken operation and shellfish, oysters and sea urchins.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This is because the Sun rotates once every 28 days.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The hand then detaches from the arm and scurries forward towards a bannana, flips it upward and secures it on its backside using a single finger.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Jackson scurries 14 yards up the middle for a first down.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That’s when Hughes stops abruptly, spins away from the challenger while still solidly in possession of the puck and heads back toward the blue line to find either open ice or a teammate who is in position to shoot.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Varied scenes include a video of smokestacks in the unmistakable soft light of a Beijing winter, the artist puffing cigarettes as a Lazy Susan spins leisurely with dishes and a bottle of Nongfu Spring, a local mineral water brand; and a robot getting out of an elevator.—
Stephy Chung,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirls. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
