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
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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
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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
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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.
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Recent Examples of whirls
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
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
Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
Green’s guitar whirls nimbly underneath the words, while an effect like a muted choir loops in the background.
—Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
The heady Moon whirls into your 6th House of Effort, highlighting habits that support productivity.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirls
Noun
-
Residents Medical arranges rotations with careful attention to specialty alignment.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Christian Petersen / Getty Images NBC News analyzed the average ages of NBA champions’ playoff rotations since 2016, and San Antonio would be the youngest team to win a title — out-young-ing last year’s Oklahoma City Thunder.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
And fogs are closer to us than clouds.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
-
Over-the-counter pesticides and fogs will not do the job.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Dylan Harper, who has played tremendous bench minutes for San Antonio, also scored 13 on 18 shot attempts.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
There have been attempts to start up professional softball leagues before.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
The galaxy's heart shines brightly in the image, with gleaming rays of light radiating from its center while gas and dust swirls around.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
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Longoria’s approach to the wild fervour that continually swirls around the Velodrome was to try to harness it by hiring comparably combustible coaches like Jorge Sampaoli, Igor Tudor, Gennaro Gattuso and De Zerbi.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The Manchester City taliswoman then twirls her arm before knee sliding in front of the travelling fans.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Elmer Rodríguez twirls a against his former team while representing Puerto Rico.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In addition to its signature chocolate and vanilla custard, guests can also try the Flavor of the Day, which rotates regularly, apart from the beloved Wedding Cake Wednesday that frequently makes an appearance.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
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The tumbler’s leakproof lid also rotates for three comfortable sipping positions.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Verb
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That goes for much here, from the light that scurries away from Benjamín Echazarreta’s muted camera, to the moments of sweetness that punctuate Mariá Portugal’s largely ominous score.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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The way Radcliffe scurries out of his chair and into the green room to meet Liu illustrates her visceral impact.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirls. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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