as in helicopter
a vehicle for traveling through the air that obtains its lift from rotors which spin horizontally from the sky a police whirlybird was able to track the fleeing carjacker

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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 whirlybird At its factory in Cambodia, Outland Denim uses a method of heat extraction involving breezeways and a roof ventilation device known as a whirlybird. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019 Mars’ atmosphere is thin, so the extraterrestrial whirlybird needed some special modifications to achieve lift. Hailey Rose McLaughlin, Discover Magazine, 4 Sep. 2019 The sleek, dark-green whirlybird, with its luxe leather interior, sat in front of Airbus’s static display at the National Business Aviation Association’s BACE conference in Orlando. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 19 Oct. 2022 The result is a whirlybird that’s quieter than usual, but also potentially safer. Rob Verger and Charlie Wood, Popular Science, 2 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirlybird
Noun
  • The company, known for producing propulsion systems for airplanes, helicopters, and missiles, is expected to be exposed to any change in the global tariff regime.
    Chloe Taylor,Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025
  • The helicopter destroyer is undergoing conversion into Japan's first aircraft carrier since World War II.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Lodges, reachable only by chopper or small plane, such as those from Pelorus Air, create a circuit for both golfers and wine aficionados as well as for hikers looking to explore peaks, glaciers, and deep-river gorges à la hobbits Frodo and Sam.
    Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025
  • What follows is something resembling a helicopter dogfight in which multiple Army choppers chase Tommy and company through the LA sky.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Whirlybird.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirlybird. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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