birling

Definition of birlingnext
present participle of birl, chiefly Scottish
as in drinking
to take part in drunken revelry spent a good part of his time in Edinburgh birling into the wee small hours of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for birling
Verb
  • Jude, a 12-year-old who gets injured in a firework accident, had been drinking with older kids while dealing with instability at home.
    Jonathan Hunt-Glassman, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Patricia explains the process and reminds the woman that drinking coffee before the screening can affect the results.
    Lisa Hughes, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The team were meek in defeat, but after a weekend carousing and communing in central London, Newcastle fans arrived at Wembley with a collective hangover.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
  • But that doesn’t add much beyond three crusty Báthory ancestors carousing drunkenly in their coffins.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Our friends converted their 400-person reception hall wedding into a spirited dance party at their home, with small groups of well-wishers, each small enough to fit into their bomb shelter, taking turns reveling.
    Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • While the details of the threat facing humanity are new to this story, moviegoers are used to bingeing on popcorn while watching a heroic quest to save the Earth from certain doom.
    Scott Solomon, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Most often, chairs are a tool for sedentary tasks, like working at a computer, eating dinner, or binging Netflix.
    Jenny McCoy, SELF, 23 Mar. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Birling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birling. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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