whirls 1 of 2

noun

plural of whirl
1
as in rotations
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in fogs
a state of mental uncertainty so many changes at once had her all in a whirl

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity lost an earring in the whirl of the party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in attempts
an effort to do or accomplish something I'm pretty good at fixing things, so how about if I give it a whirl?

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whirls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whirl
1
as in swirls
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 twirls
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 rotates
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 scurries
to proceed or move quickly cars whirling by on the highway

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 whirls
Noun
Macfarlane explained that fire whirls can form when heat generated by a wildfire rises so rapidly that the air begins to spin, similar to how a dust devil or a landspout forms. — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026 Florida has a new niche industry to help those who can afford it get out of dodge before a hurricane whirls ashore. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026 Green’s guitar whirls nimbly underneath the words, while an effect like a muted choir loops in the background. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026 The congregation writhes, sometimes in unison, and whirls and stomps; at one point, a line of folks snake through a doorway and into the foreground, as the camera rotates in the opposite direction. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025 Water vortices, such as whirlpools, are little water whirls that spin around. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025 Yates punched the air, running back and forth across the stage and propelling into leaps and whirls. — Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Cool, icy, and tangy, this blender dessert whirls buttermilk, ice, and honey into a sweet, frothy cloud of a frappe perfect for hot summer nights. — Anna Kovel, Martha Stewart, 10 July 2026 The heady Moon whirls into your 6th House of Effort, highlighting habits that support productivity. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirls
  1. rotations
  2. fogs
  3. stirs
  4. attempts
  5. swirls
  6. twirls
  7. rotates
  8. scurries
Noun
  • To be clear, this remains a bull market, the S&P 500's uptrend unbroken, with constant rotations between AI tech and remainder of the market fitfully supporting the tape, with pullbacks limited to 3% for half a year.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But the preseason still allowed Splitter to test a variety of rotations in a deep Bulls roster that is designed to learn on the fly.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotations
Noun
  • And fogs are closer to us than clouds.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 May 2026
  • Over-the-counter pesticides and fogs will not do the job.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of fogs
Noun
  • Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of stirs
Noun
  • Last weekend in Highland, Michigan, Rogers dismissed El-Sayed's attempts to whittle away at his GOP base of support.
    — Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Proposition 132 attempts to address these concerns by stiffening legal penalties.
    — Joshua Barocas, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of attempts
Verb
  • But unlike when Kruger first started producing conceptual art some five decades ago, similar language now swirls all around us more than ever.
    — Amy Verner, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Max Martin, Grande sings of blowing through breakups and make-ups and enduring mounting exhaustion with mass notoriety while the music swirls patiently and frequently angrily underneath.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of swirls
Verb
  • Inside, Benjamin Davalos twirls his measuring jigger and, with a turn of his wrist, releases a swallow’s worth of straight rye.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
  • With smoke streaming from his mouth and nose, McTominay twirls the delighted older man around.
    — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of twirls
Verb
  • As the motor rotates the end, the rod deforms and stores elastic energy.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Workday’s rally comes amid a broader rethink of software companies, which are starting to look more attractive as money rotates out of semiconductors and into parts of the AI trade that investors think will outperform going forward.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotates
Verb
  • Inside Botánica Santo Tomas in Wilton Manors, store owner Héctor Giovanni Pizarro Santana sweeps the floor as his tiny Chihuahua, Bella, scurries behind him.
    — Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Alicent scurries the great halls, desperate to shore up support for her plan to hand Rhaenyra the Red Keep.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of scurries

Browse Nearby Words

whirlpools
whirls
whirlwind
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Cite this Entry

“Whirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirls. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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