swirl

1 of 2

verb

swirled; swirling; swirls

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move with an eddying or whirling motion
swirling water
b
: to pass in whirling confusion
2
: to have a twist or convolution

transitive verb

: to cause to swirl
swirled her drink
swirlingly adverb

swirl

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a whirling mass or motion : eddy
b
: whirling confusion
a swirl of events
2
: a twisting shape, mark, or pattern
3
: an act or instance of swirling

Examples of swirl in a Sentence

Verb The water swirled around the drain. kept swirling her lemonade until the ice had melted and it was completely watered down Noun A swirl of smoke rose from the chimney. He painted swirls of color on the canvas. ice cream with chocolate swirls
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In the maelstrom of political questions that are swirling ahead of the presidential election, one question that deserves attention is what’s at stake for action on climate change. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2024 With questions still swirling about Biden, House Democrats met for two hours behind closed doors to hash out some lawmakers’ doubts about his ability to beat Trump and serve four more years in the White House. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 9 July 2024
Noun
Hudsonville Ice Cream is away its Super Scoop bars on the circle from 2 to 3 p.m. The bars are made with swirls of black cherry, Blue Moon and vanilla ice cream, a Michigan favorite combination commonly called Superman. Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 2 July 2024 But why do hurricanes, those disastrous, stormy swirls of wind and rain, receive names? Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for swirl 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swirl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of swirl was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near swirl

Cite this Entry

“Swirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swirl. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

swirl

1 of 2 noun
1
: a whirling mass or motion : eddy
2
: whirling confusion
lost in the swirl of events
3
: a twisting shape, mark, or pattern

swirl

2 of 2 verb
1
: to move with or pass in a swirl
2
: to be marked with or arranged in swirls
3
: to cause to swirl
swirlingly
ˈswər-liŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on swirl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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