whirling 1 of 2

adjective

as in giddy
having a feeling of being whirled about and in danger of falling down still whirling from the amusement park ride, I needed to sit down

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whirling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of whirl
1
as in swirling
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly whirled the chocolate syrup into the milk with a spoon

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2
as in rotating
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 revolving
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 flying
to proceed or move quickly cars whirling by on the highway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in spinning
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around my mind whirled from all of the excitement

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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 whirling
Adjective
The magnetar was initially surrounded by a whirling disk of matter, funneling from its inner edge onto the stellar remnant. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
The room grows as silent as this whirling slot machine of a city can get. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 The sounds of generators humming and chain saws whirling filled the neighborhood Thursday afternoon. — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 Too bad then that Sophie is such a softie, secretly inviting the whirling dervish to their two days of rest and relaxation. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026 Twenty-four hours later, my brain is still whirling over yesterday’s stunning news from Merck and Moderna about the success of their personalized mRNA cancer therapy in a melanoma late-stage clinical trial. — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026 The systems also can spin up whirling columns of flame — usually a fire whirl, which Giannaros describes as a dust devil made of fire and heat instead of dust. — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 The Argentina fans roused themselves, whirling their shirts above their heads. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 For much of the past week, all that Colombia had been able to agree upon was the pre-eminence of Luis Diaz, who remained a whirling dervish throughout the match as his side’s outstanding player. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 June 2026 After seeing his parents vanquished, young Adam is quickly sent by the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) with his all-powerful sword whirling away to Earth. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirling
  1. giddy
  2. swirling
  3. rotating
  4. revolving
  5. flying
  6. spinning
  7. dizzy
  8. stirring
Adjective
  • The attendees were hip, all ages, and slightly giddy, ready to have whales blow their minds.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Newcomers Álvarez and Knight couldn’t be better in their newlywed roles, convincing in their giddy love scenes, their casual affections, their unwanted suspicions and, most of all, their terror at whatever is lurking in the air and in their souls.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of giddy
Verb
  • Now, a new enigmatic 10-sided feature known as the decagon has been spotted swirling on the complete opposite side of the ringed planet.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Early Tuesday morning, Anaheim mayor Ashleigh Aitken started getting a slew of calls and texts — rumors were swirling about a potential landmark day in her hometown.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of swirling
Verb
  • Electricity travels from the rotating wheels through a custom conductive hub to a solar controller built into the frame.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The wheels need to remain lightweight and precisely balanced while rotating at speeds of up to 6,000 rpm.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rotating
Verb
  • Even in the face of all that pressure, the shows — which debuted the tour’s four revolving setlists — were wildly successful, with tributes to Peart helping one of rock’s most cerebral bands hit new heights of emotional impact.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2026
  • And with the average rate on credit card accounts that were charged interest recently topping 22%, falling behind on this type of revolving debt can become expensive quickly.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of revolving
Verb
  • Grichuk put a good swing on a slider while flying out to left field.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • It was later revealed that the plane had been overloaded by 700 pounds and the pilot, who had cocaine and alcohol in his system, was not authorized to be flying, according to CBS.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of flying
Verb
  • Conventional gas centrifuges use spinning mechanical rotors to push heavier atoms outward.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And get ready for a scene that will hopefully not leave your head spinning the same way that the Earth spins on its axis.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of spinning
Adjective
  • Most patients feel dizzy, nauseated and weak within 30 to 60 minutes.
    — Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The incident comes just weeks after Richie was similarly forced to postpone two shows after becoming dizzy during a performance in Minnesota in June.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of dizzy
Verb
  • Simmer the pasta in the sauce, gently stirring and tossing occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Add tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until darkened in color, 2 to 4 minutes.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of stirring

Browse Nearby Words

whirled
whirling
whirlpool
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Cite this Entry

“Whirling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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