1
as in rotation
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point
the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
so many changes at once had her all in a whirl
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stir
a state of noisy, confused activity
lost an earring in the whirl of the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in to rotate
to move in circles around an axis or center
the gambler held his breath as the roulette wheel whirled
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to speed
to proceed or move quickly
cars whirling by on the highway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whirl
April White, JSTOR Daily, 20 Jan. 2025
An early Cyber Monday deal is the perfect excuse to give the Hinoki Body Oil a whirl.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024
Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Loyola, ranked third in the state, had its best chance when Josh Gallagher stole the ball deep in Lions territory, whirled and fired just wide of the post in the 22nd minute.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whirl
Noun
Those who heard the roar of the motors and the whirl of the propellers just after 6 a.m. that day were witnesses to the first flight of, depending on your point of view, either a fanciful and quickly forgotten business venture or one of the world’s most successful marketing gambits.
—April White, JSTOR Daily, 20 Jan. 2025
An early Cyber Monday deal is the perfect excuse to give the Hinoki Body Oil a whirl.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
But on social media at least, dancing at an airport has become the travel trend du jour, with travelers across the world spinning through baggage claim, whirling through terminals and rolling through airport gates, garnering millions of online views in the process.
—Francesca Street, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Loyola, ranked third in the state, had its best chance when Josh Gallagher stole the ball deep in Lions territory, whirled and fired just wide of the post in the 22nd minute.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whirl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirl
Noun
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An effective Kershaw could help stabilize a Dodger rotation that has once again been scrambled ahead of the team’s three-game series with the Padres, which begins Monday.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
-
Vegas has been running a very short rotation, so getting production from Nye and other bench players like Dana Evans and Tiffany Mitchell is important.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Some of those who chose to evacuate didn’t do so promptly, and there was widespread confusion whether evacuation was necessary at all.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
-
The end result of this copycat strategy was external confusion, internal demoralization, and financial underperformance.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Nintendo caused a slight stir after the Switch 2 reveal.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
-
From the first chop to the final stir, Wendy and her mother serve up more than just a traditional Igbo recipe.—
Essence,
Essence,
30 May 2025
Noun
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At the time, Buffett had just moved to Key West from Nashville after giving country music a try and had recently divorced his first wife, Margie Washichek.—
Jessica Booth,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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The loss represented the first time the USWNT had lost two times in three tries since its three-game losing streak to England, Spain, and Germany back in 2022.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Their most popular is Dirty Barn Shoes – chocolate ice cream with fudge swirl and crushed chocolate cookies.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
7 June 2025
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Scientific objectives include gaining an understanding of the Reiner Gamma swirl mini-magnetosphere region and its magnetic and plasma properties. TBD, 2025: Blue Origin New Glenn carrying Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1), a single-launch, lunar cargo lander that remains on the surface.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 June 2025
Verb
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The break-up between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is the battle that everyone saw coming, spinning into a tweetstorm of insults, unwanted revelations and surprising outbursts.—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Alas, Bill never calls, and though Jenny spins it as the part of the rom-com where there’s a mix-up before true love prevails, that’s clearly not the case.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
5 June 2025
Verb
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For more formal occasions, she’s also rotated in white sneakers worn with tailored linen separates — a recurring combination that blends practicality with polish.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
7 June 2025
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The museum will also feature rotating contemporary exhibitions from Mexican, Latin American, and female artists.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Reconciliation Since agreeing on a final budget can be slow, to speed things up, the Senate often jumps straight to a process called reconciliation.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Analysts believe Washington will use the London meeting to push Beijing to speed up sales of minerals and other crucial components for manufacturing, while China is expected to argue for easing technology sales curbs, including on artificial intelligence chips.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirl. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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