twirl

1 of 2

verb

ˈtwər-(-ə)l 

twirled; twirling; twirls

intransitive verb

1

: to revolve rapidly

2

: to pitch in a baseball game

transitive verb

1

: to cause to rotate rapidly

2

: pitch sense 2a

twirler

ˈtwər-lər 

noun

twirl

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of twirling

2

: coil, whorl

twirly

ˈtwər-lē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• pivot
• revolve
• roll
• rotate
• spin
• swing
• swirl
• swivel
• turn
• twist
• wheel
• whirl

Noun

• gyration
• pirouette
• reel
• revolution
• roll
• rotation
• spin
• wheel
• whirl

Examples of twirl in a Sentence

Verb

They twirled past us on the dance floor.

The cheerleaders jumped and twirled.

The kite twisted and twirled in the wind.

The chef twirled the noodles around his fork.

Noun

The dancers executed perfect twirls.

the twirl of the dancer's skirt mesmerized me

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The right-hander has twirled a 2.88 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP and 946 strikeouts over his most recent 816 2/3 innings. —Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

In the video, Rae most astutely re-affirms her actual and legitimate pre-social media dance background while twirling around dark Paris streets with her dancers. —Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

The pandering works because Hilty’s an ace physical comedian, able to infuse the smallest wrist twirl with grandiosity, armed with a voice that goes from operatically Galinda to the brass blare of moving the line. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024

Take a twirl under the disco ball, sip a Negroni by the saltwater pool, or simply vibe out next to Ernie, the property’s vintage VW bug. —Emily Pennington, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect tvirla to twirl; akin to Old High German dweran to stir

First Known Use

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

twirl

1 of 2 verb

ˈtwər(-ə)l 

: to turn or cause to turn rapidly

twirl a baton

twirler noun

twirl

2 of 2 noun

: an act of twirling