spire

noun

Definition of spirenext
as in spiral

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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 spire Counting the spire and antenna, the skyscraper stands 1,454 feet tall. — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026 Nikolau and Beerkus appeared to chronicle their climb up the Empire State Building on social media Wednesday and posted close-up images of the proposal from the spire and the engagement ring. — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 1 July 2026 There had no visible safety equipment, and clung to the spire by their fingertips. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 1 July 2026 After the pair safely lowered themselves onto a ledge halfway down the spire, the man appeared to get down on one knee to propose to the other individual. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spire
  1. spiral
  2. whorl
  3. coil
  4. hank
  5. curl
Noun
  • The scorching temperatures and persistent droughts in June and July mutually reinforced each other to create a hot weather spiral, according to Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Save the endowment, rather than lose it in trying to stave off an institutional death spiral.
    — Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of spiral
Noun
  • Visually, the result was a restlessly fluctuating Technicolor whorl.
    — Max Norman, New Yorker, 25 June 2026
  • Blue, purple, or white whorls of flowers rise above the strappy foliage in summer.
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
Definition of whorl
Noun
  • During a launch, the motors send a burst of power through a long row of electromagnetic coils beneath the flight deck.
    — Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
  • These movements generate electricity as the shaft, featuring a magnet array, moves through static copper coils at a high frequency, according to the company.
    — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of coil
Noun
  • Kim lets out a sob and a hank of Natalie’s hair clings to her tears.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
  • There was no one else on the strand, the surf a sickly yellow foam bubbling between the matted black hanks of seaweed heaped on the beach.
    — Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Apr. 2022
Definition of hank
Noun
  • The threads are strung the wrong way to hold the boundary together, so the curls grow with nothing to limit them.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Just a few hours after dropping pics of herself with voluminous, body-licious curls, Khloé Kardashian decided to kick off August with a fresh hair cut—and introduced us all to her alter ego, Bob Kardashian, in the process.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of curl

Browse Nearby Words

spirals
spire
spired
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Cite this Entry

“Spire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spire. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spire

Nglish: Translation of spire for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spire

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