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
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.
Verb
At medium doses, that vivid picture of the world begins to dissolve into classically psychedelic imagery: swirling geometric patterns, flashing colors and shapes, and a general deconstruction of ordinary perception into chaos. Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024 Hurricane season still swirling:Rafael could threaten US later this week Patty no longer a tropical cyclone The hurricane center said Monday that Patty is no longer a tropical storm or cyclone in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
Across eleven offerings, a swirl of photographs mined from the internet and transferred onto wood panels, Norsworthy offers the kind of narratives most movies refuse to consider, let alone imagine. Essence, 5 Nov. 2024 Sounding curiously spectral, the group is an essentially trippy element in the psychedelic swirl. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for swirl 

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 25 Nov. 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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