twirl

1 of 2

verb

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
twirler noun

twirl

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of twirling
2
: coil, whorl
twirly adjective

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
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
Rae twirled ethereally next to the Venezuela electronic music diva, who delivered an overal avant-garde set, also bringing out Tokischa for a duet. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2025 In the balletic battles staged by director Kazuya Tsurumaki (of FLCL and Evangelion fame), humanoid hunks of metal leap and twirl across the stars before smashing into space colonies or each other. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
Meg Hope twirls daughter Calliope Hope-Williams, 9 months of New Zealand. Allen J. Schaben, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2025 Some of them assented to a ceremonial final flight, a last twirl for the cameras and dignitaries, like the Parisian leg of the Tour de France. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for twirl

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of twirl was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Twirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twirl. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

twirl

1 of 2 verb
: to turn or cause to turn rapidly
twirl a baton
twirler noun

twirl

2 of 2 noun
: an act of twirling

More from Merriam-Webster on twirl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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