How to Use spiral in a Sentence

spiral

1 of 3 adjective
  • And this book took me about four or five full spiral notebooks.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 2 Sep. 2023
  • Went and bought a spiral notebook.
    — David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
  • Males have spiral horns that are nearly 4 feet tall.
    — Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Along one side of the house was a spiral staircase to the second floor.
    — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2022
  • By the end, the spiral towers nearly as tall as the artist.
    — Anel Rakhimzhanova, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Some hams are already spiral sliced and others are not.
    — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 27 Nov. 2025
  • The world can be a dark place, and the news cycle could make anyone spiral.
    — Maggie Penman, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The spiral wrap can be wound around the base of the trunk and does not require tying.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
  • To keep its curvy shape, a spiral topiary needs to be pruned at least twice a year.
    — Brittney Morgan, House Beautiful, 22 June 2023
  • Cut dough spiral into 12 equal pieces.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The airplane makes a spiral nose-down, down, down to the grave, kind of like going down a drain.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The distinctive spiral design makes this wind chime a chic piece of decor as well.
    — Kate McGregor, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2023
  • For hams that are fully cooked (again, check the label) and not spiral sliced, first cut off any skin.
    — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 27 Nov. 2025
  • Flecks of sweet meat spiral through the broth like murky images of the Milky Way.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Place in springform pan, spiral side up, and repeat until pan is filled.
    — Bethany Thayer, Freep.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Silent spiral Wongchingchai feels caught in a silent spiral.
    — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • But the Trail Blazers didn't spiral.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The dress was crafted with thick, halter-style straps and three spiral rosette appliqués.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 June 2026
  • Pink is then used for the leather mustache and an insole with a dotted spiral pattern.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Every year, by New Year’s Day, the shame spiral kicks in.
    — Marisa McMillan, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025
  • Our Milky Way is believed to be a spiral disk of stars with a big bulge in the middle.
    — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 12 Oct. 2025
  • There are numerous perm types including spiral perms, beach wave perms, pin curl perms, body wave perms, and more.
    — Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 29 July 2023
  • Before the sixth could spiral, Miller made a suggestion.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 26 May 2026
  • Thick, but soft textured needles are deep green and arranged in a spiral pattern along branches.
    — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 May 2026
  • Anya wrote this down in a spiral notebook, in her particular spiked cursive.
    — Nell Freudenberger, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The most important step, though, is to act before your balances spiral further.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Each atrium has a rooftop deck with a fire pit and daybed accessible by a spiral metal staircase.
    — David Duran, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Try the spinach and artichoke escargot — a flaky, rich, bready spiral — for a savory snack.
    — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • To keep birds out of your fruit trees and prevent them from pecking at your crop, hang spiral reflective strips from the branches.
    — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The magnetic field might be shaped like a spiral (called helical) or doughnut shaped (called toroidal).
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Aug. 2025

spiral

2 of 3 noun
  • The glider flew in a wide spiral over the field.
  • The quarterback threw a tight spiral to the receiver.
  • She was asked to trace more spirals and straight lines.
    — Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2025
  • How to pull up Irish out of its death spiral?
    — Big Think, 4 May 2026
  • If an email thread spirals, suggest a quick call.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The moon’s clash with Mars sets the stage for a self-doubt spiral.
    — USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
  • If that were to happen, that would be what a death spiral might look like.
    — Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 26 June 2026
  • Michelle’s spiral didn’t begin with drugs.
    — Michele Steeb, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Houston needed a win to stave off a sweep and slow a spiral.
    — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Or, simply dip the spirals in Heinz ketchup.
    — Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Create spirals that echo the forms found in nature.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The best gels for curly hair will control frizz and extend the shape of your spirals.
    — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The last few episodes gloss over the team’s staggering spiral.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The snail's shell has seven to nine whorls (spirals) when it is fully grown.
    — USA TODAY, 1 July 2023
  • Loads upon loads of spirals make a statement.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 16 June 2026
  • The spiral of death & destruction must stop now.
    — Kevin Collier, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
  • It's been a downward, but happy spiral since.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 May 2026
  • Silver chrome spirals frame opalescent cat-eye tips.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
  • Boeing, though, has pulled out of spirals before.
    — John Pacenti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
  • What happens when your art spirals so far outside of yourself?
    — Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The track looked great—a spiral of ramps surrounding a huge tabletop of packed dirt.
    — Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
  • Those back-to-back blows sent me into a spiral of addiction.
    — Raelynn Franklin, Mercury News, 20 Dec. 2025
  • While the Panthers have been up and down, the Bucs have been in a spiral.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 3 Jan. 2026
  • This is how wage-price spirals start and represent a big headache for the Fed.
    — Raul Elizalde, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Threaded throughout the scene are light pink spirals that look like pinwheels twirling in the wind.
    — Julia Musto, Fox News, 8 July 2023
  • Silent spiral Wongchingchai feels caught in a silent spiral.
    — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Then roll ropes of dough into spirals and tuck into a muffin tin for baking.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2023
  • Following this, the team then rolled the chip up by rolling the sheet into a tight spiral like a sushi roll.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Teammates have seen it in moments when others might slam a club or let a bogey spiral.
    — Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
  • As Sally spirals, the set turns crimson.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026

spiral

3 of 3 verb
  • The airplane spiraled to the ground and crashed.
  • Smoke spiraled up from the chimney.
  • Let's deal with this crisis before it spirals out of control.
  • The stock market is spiraling downward.
  • The unemployment rate has been spiraling upward.
  • And things just spiral down from there.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026
  • And that spirals her, and then she gets all caught up.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
  • But Wilcox worked hard not to spiral.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
  • But my life was spiraling at this point.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Every cell in my body screamed yes, but my mind spiraled.
    — Jennifer Wolfgram, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
  • At least that's what happens when prices spiral up.
    — Daniel Yergin, Time, 20 June 2026
  • Smoke spiralled upward through the floors above.
    — Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
  • But man, these guys are spiraling.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
  • This is when Margo starts to spiral.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Act too late, and the outbreak can spiral out of control.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • This caused the plane to spiral downward and crash into the ocean.
    — Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 26 Mar. 2026
  • But things quickly spiraled once the two couples hopped in their car to go home.
    — Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
  • No need to spiral over what someone meant, posted or didn’t say.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
  • Of course, things spiraled out of control soon thereafter.
    — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
  • Most of us have run away from ourselves at some point, maybe even spiraled in a foreign city.
    — Charles Arrowsmith, Washington Post, 16 May 2023
  • As Krit now faces death, Yod begins to spiral.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 May 2026
  • Things can spiral out of control quickly.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The fight spiraled further as emotions flared.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Things quickly spiraled for Jones.
    — Brad Quick, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
  • And the Knicks have shown this season how quickly things can spiral.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • At that point, things only spiraled further.
    — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
  • The fifth inning had already begun to spiral on him.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
  • Look for the spiraling ramp and the Givenchy signage.
    — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • Part of her front layers were brushed out of the updo, spiraling along the side of her face.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The price of metal, glass, wood and plastic have spiraled up, as have shipping costs.
    — Trefor Moss, wsj.com, 25 Apr. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spiral.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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