1
as in rotations
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point
the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy
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2
as in fogs
a state of mental uncertainty
so many changes at once had her all in a whirl
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity
lost an earring in the whirl of the party
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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?
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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
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3
as in rotates
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 scurries
to proceed or move quickly
cars whirling by on the highway
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Neither are consistent fixtures in Mike Brown’s rotations leading into the All-Star break, which makes both expendable ahead of the Thursday deadline, especially Yabusele given the Knicks used their valuable mid-level exception to sign him.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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So could teams like the San Francisco Giants or Athletics, who have clear holes in their rotations.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Michaelson asked Fisher about a particular conversation between the two former Lakers that still stirs strong emotions for the 18-year NBA veteran.—
Monica Haider,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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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
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
-
The skater actually rotates four and a half times, in less than a second.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The digital display automatically rotates when the heater is used horizontally, a small but thoughtful touch for its dual-orientation concept.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bridgerton fans can spot the Old Royal Naval College mostly throughout season 2, like when a paperboy scurries across the grounds to deliver the latest gossip from Lady Whistledown in the first episode.—
Kayla Keegan,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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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
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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 7 Feb. 2026.
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