eddy 1 of 2

noun

Definition of eddynext
as in swirl
a circular movement of air or water The boat was caught in a powerful eddy.

Related Words

Relevance

eddy

2 of 2

verb

as in to swirl

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 eddy
Noun
Dull says that the redesign will eliminate eddies inside the dam, increasing efficiency and saving the lives of juvenile salmon who might get stuck inside. — D. Hunter Reardon, USA Today, 3 June 2026 The cloudiness will be especially noticeable Tuesday through Thursday due to minor coastal eddies that will help push the moisture onto local beaches and into canyons and foothills off to the east. — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 May 2026
Verb
The crowd eddied, some with batons dancing concentrically around the wheel of fire, others collecting around two young men in white. — Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 As a result, other stray digital ephemera are sucked into this eddying body—fashion photos of NBA baller Chris Paul, a random clip of someone’s dad—all of them in conversation with one another. — Jason Parham, Wired, 14 Feb. 2020 See All Example Sentences for eddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eddy
  1. swirl
  2. ripple
  3. reel
  4. bubble
  5. spin
  6. purl
  7. spiral
  8. trickle
Noun
  • Such a beautiful sculpture, mimicking the swirls found in nature (the cosmos, shells, Fibonacci-following topiary) felt a far cry from the swirl of emotions prompted by my favorite TV shows.
    — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026
  • Serve it with a swirl of creme fraiche or sour cream for a light lunch or lovely first course.
    — Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
Definition of swirl
Verb
  • Plunk down in one of the Adirondack chairs strewn along the shore and zen out to the rippling waters while watching for deer tiptoeing along the stream.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
  • That lag — measured in months — eventually ripples into AI server buildout, consumer electronics, and automotive chips.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of ripple
Noun
  • Highlight reels are dominated by exceptional athletes doing exceptional things.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • In a recent Instagram reel, the actress leaped onto her bed in a breezy matching outfit that’s ideal for any warm-weather vacation.
    — Christina Shepherd McGuire, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of reel
Verb
  • The clambake is ready when the clams have fully opened, the potatoes are tender, the broth is bubbling and the sausage is heated through.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Internal emails, group chat messages and meeting minutes obtained by the Miami Herald show the drama that’s been bubbling up in recent months, as county officials, developers and HOA board members have sparred over the future of the land.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of bubble
Noun
  • Each morning, the lodge serves a lavish buffet, followed in the afternoon by its spin on the traditional German Kaffe und Kuchen—coffee and cake.
    — Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026
  • Israel dismisses Hamas’ announcement as meaningless political spin.
    — Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of spin
Verb
  • The two halves of the hook move independently, enabling the device to knit or purl depending on which part picks up the first loop.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
  • There was no ocean, no sea in this part of Україна, only a purling river.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 May 2025
Definition of purl
Noun
  • Despite the 2010 box office success ofJackass 3D, his spiral was worsened by the death of his best friend and Jackass co-star Ryan Dunn in a car crash the following year.
    — Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
  • His flurry of buying came on the tail end of a steep four-day spiral that was sparked by the unveiling of his plan for broad and high tariffs.
    — Alex Harring,Luke Fountain, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • But that’s fine, because this wave of innovation will ultimately trickle down to even the smallest franchise operators.
    — Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The Dodgers tied the score in the bottom of the 10th when Mookie Betts’ hard liner up the middle deflected off the glove of second baseman Julien and trickled into center field, allowing Andy Pages to score from third.
    — Kyle Glaser, Oc Register, 7 July 2026
Definition of trickle

Browse Nearby Words

eddies
eddy
eddying
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Eddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eddy. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on eddy

Nglish: Translation of eddy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eddy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All