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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
-
This storm front had already spawned some potentially threatening cloud rotations in northwest Georgia and brought heavy wind and rain to anyone in its path.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Valanciunas is slow-footed and plays down the floor in pick-and-roll coverage, leaving the Nuggets more vulnerable to pick-and-pop bigs and other ripple effects of their help rotations around the floor.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 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
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Zuckerberg’s experiment is one of the first real attempts by a major tech company to test AI at the executive level, potentially signaling a future where AI systems assist — or partially replace — corporate leadership roles.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Additional recordings from before and after the crash document attempts by controllers to communicate with both the passenger jet and the fire truck in the moments leading up to the collision.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a cave that sheltered freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad, their uncle shares a story of a creature that stirs at night.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Where the pre-retroshade plants seeds and the retrograde stirs them up, the post-retroshade is where clarity arrives and choices get made.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Elmer Rodríguez twirls a against his former team while representing Puerto Rico.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
Many expect the English forward to start as Liam Rosenior rotates his squad.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The collar rotates 360 degrees and uses a thumb screw to set it and lock it into place.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
Verb
-
The antiproton trap contains a magnetic field that spins the antiparticles in a circle, suspending them in space.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Christopher Kosakowski, United States, 2025 A circus clown celebrating his birthday alone receives a mysterious gift box harboring an antique zoetrope that spins his world into mayhem.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirls. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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