swirled; swirling; swirls
1
a
: to move with an eddying or whirling motion
swirling water
b
: to pass in whirling confusion
2
: to have a twist or convolution
: to cause to swirl
swirled her drink
Examples of swirl in a Sentence
Verb
The water swirled around the drain.
kept swirling her lemonade until the ice had melted and it was completely watered down
Noun
A swirl of smoke rose from the chimney.
He painted swirls of color on the canvas.
ice cream with chocolate swirls
Recent Examples on the Web
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
As scrutiny over the NBA All-Star Game swirled, Anthony Edwards expressed skepticism that this year’s new format would finally improve the level of competitiveness.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
His halftime show was a kaleidoscopic extension of that triumph, a sunny snapshot of the island imported to the 50-yard line, largely removing anything like a traditional stage, spreading dancing and musicians outward and evenly, placing Bad Bunny at the center of a constant swirl of action.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swirl
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Verb
Speculation, particularly among liberal commentators, has started to swirl around possible retirement plans of Justice Samuel Alito.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
As scrutiny over the NBA All-Star Game swirled, Anthony Edwards expressed skepticism that this year’s new format would finally improve the level of competitiveness.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
As speculation swirls, Duffy emphasized that high-profile investigations are methodical and layered — even if answers are not immediately visible to the public.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
His halftime show was a kaleidoscopic extension of that triumph, a sunny snapshot of the island imported to the 50-yard line, largely removing anything like a traditional stage, spreading dancing and musicians outward and evenly, placing Bad Bunny at the center of a constant swirl of action.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for swirl
Cite this Entry
“Swirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swirl. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swirl
1 of 2 noun1
: a whirling mass or motion : eddy
2
: whirling confusion
lost in the swirl of events
3
: a twisting shape, mark, or pattern
swirl
2 of 2 verb1
: to move with or pass in a swirl
2
: to be marked with or arranged in swirls
3
: to cause to swirl
swirlingly
adverb
ˈswər-liŋ-lē
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