swirling 1 of 2

adjective

as in spiraling

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swirling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of swirl
1
as in stirring
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly kept swirling her lemonade until the ice had melted and it was completely watered down

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2
as in rotating
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis swirled her skirts as she danced the tango

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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 swirling
Adjective
But most visitors were gathered around one explosively colorful painting in swirling shades of light and dark blue, bottle green, and pale gold. — Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026 Even when key characters were finally introduced, their conversations occurred amid the swirling chaos of precinct life. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Executed in a mixture of shoe polish and alcohol, the mural features the swirling, graphic forms and figures that would soon become hallmarks of his work. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 The sun has come up to reveal Hurricane Isaias and its swirling clouds above the Gulf’s record-warm water. — Kate S. Petersen, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 Get ahead of the trend cycle with a swirling cake stand from Fazeek, or add heritage icons, like Bordallo Pinheiro’s cabbage-ware, to your tabletop. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026 An early tour of his estate, provided by the swirling camerawork of Emmanuel Lubezki, reveals a catalogue of crimes against the animal kingdom, with antlers and furs festooning every surface. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 Another highlight is the custom leather ceiling in the owner’s suite, which showcases a swirling pattern like a lollipop’s. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026 Set a timer for two to five minutes and write freely, with no structure or polish required, to give swirling thoughts somewhere to land. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
Outside, the Santa Ana winds sent debris swirling with powerful gusts. — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 As for the suites, the highlight is their private terraces, peaceful havens from which to admire, paradoxically, the urban whirlwind swirling below. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026 With SpaceX hitting the public market in June, speculation about a more permanet tie-up has been swirling. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 Despite the fact that the brand was receiving better reviews and creating more buzz recently, speculation had been swirling for months that Leoni’s contract may not be renewed. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 The golden-brown tips mimic the rich caramel swirling into your iced coffee, while the luminous cat-eye finish gives them an almost liquid-like effect. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 16 Oct. 2026 The idea of being an imposter bled into other storylines swirling about in my head. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 There are plenty of theories swirling around the internet, with many believing Rosalía’s legs are, well, fake. — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026 And while there are questions swirling about Akayleb Evans and whether Evans will be replaced by Chau Smith-Wade, one player didn’t get the same scrutiny. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swirling
  1. spiraling
  2. stirring
  3. rotating
  4. spiral
  5. twirling
  6. looping
  7. spinning
  8. zigzag
Adjective
  • Libfeld brought a massive, spiraling kudu horn to practice with at a recent Torat Emet shofar class.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Aside from a spiraling Wanda, there was also an onslaught of high-profile cameos, which almost felt like fandom wish fulfillment designed to keep us entertained when Wanda wasn’t around.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of spiraling
Verb
  • Instead of stirring resentment or scorn, the films inspired people.
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Colleagues might be chopping, stirring and whipping up a meal on the other side of your video call.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of stirring
Verb
  • But the spacecraft sets were too elaborate to recreate onboard, so Gosling performed on wire rigs, including a rotating harness.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
  • There will be 48-hour flash deals rotating throughout the event, with specific categories up to 40% off.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotating
Adjective
  • Up the marble spiral stairs—or the private elevator—are four bedrooms; the primary has views of the Columbia River and a boutique-style walk-in closet.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The interior drew its own grim commentary—a few guests expressed feeling a sudden compulsion to jump from the top of the spiral ramp to their death.
    — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • Schlittler sent his hometown Red Sox packing last October, striking out 12 while twirling eight scoreless innings in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • At one point, he could even be seen lifting her up and twirling her around the beach.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of twirling
Adjective
  • BepiColombo launched in October 2018 and took a long, looping and highly circuitous route toward Mercury our solar system's innermost planet.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The 35-year-old missed with a looping, 72-mph curveball on the first pitch in their third matchup.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of looping
Verb
  • Antetokounmpo also blocked a Noah Clowney dunk attempt a few minutes later, and then got the ball back for a spinning finger roll on the other end.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Use one of the big red buttons to listen to whatever is spinning live on NTS Channel 1 and Channel 2, or scroll through a rotary dial to listen to one of 16 music-only radio streams.
    — Kevin Cortez, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of spinning
Adjective
  • Any number of odd, zigzag examples can be used to make the case that legislative districts in Wisconsin are excessively gerrymandered.
    — Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 17 Nov. 2023
Definition of zigzag

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swirled
swirling
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Cite this Entry

“Swirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swirling. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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