as in to curl
to follow a circular or spiral course
a narrow road spiraling up the mountain to the summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in winding
turning around an axis like the thread of a screw
a spiral staircase takes visitors up into the Statue of Liberty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiral
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Next, Sasaki walked Chase DeLauter, and the inning threatened to spiral.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
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
Erin Jensen, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
With Harry, a personal spiral is only one case away, and as the series begins, there are several percolating catastrophes that might be ready to dovetail in self-destruction.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Verb
Cameron was already cranking at maximum capacity before the war in Iran sent prices spiraling — especially attacks on the Ras Laffan terminal in Qatar, which knocked out 20% of the world’s LNG capacity.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Next, Sasaki walked Chase DeLauter, and the inning threatened to spiral.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The sounds of friendly chatter echoed through a downtown Boise restaurant as tortilla after tortilla circled down a spiral warming belt.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
His inner ears were playing tricks with his sense of orientation… His flight path into the water is consistent with what is known as a graveyard spiral.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
With Harry, a personal spiral is only one case away, and as the series begins, there are several percolating catastrophes that might be ready to dovetail in self-destruction.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral
Verb
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Her father was seated on a chair with one foot tucked under him, and her mother was sitting on the sofa with both feet curled under her.—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
1 Apr. 2026
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Isaiah Evans slipped trying to curl to the rim and Solo Ball scooped up the ball, racing toward the basket, chased by the likely player of the year, Cam Boozer.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Chapin said Tokyo’s narrow and winding streets, often crowded with right-handed cars driving on the left side of the road, will present a fresh test for its AI technology, but that Nuro’s systems are designed to adapt and respond in real time.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Hosch, 67, went for a hike on part of the Appalachian Trail, a winding path that extends almost 2,200 miles through 14 states.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Several people compressing the traditional learning curve.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
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Government intervention aims to correct the difference between the curves to increase the consumption of merit goods.—
byLaura Payne,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By now, the mind-altering powers coiled in these devices are evident.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Overnight, the smoke coiled upward and gave way to acid rain that stained the city black.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The robot includes a perception system with dual RGB and RGB-D cameras, optional 3D LiDAR, and a six-microphone circular array for voice interaction.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
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The circular concrete structure stands in stark contrast to the rectangular steel-and-glass buildings that surround it.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Its eponymous flowers are deep red-orange and the foliage is composed of whorls of needle-like, silvery-blue leaves.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 June 2025
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In 2024, the Ig Nobel Prize in anatomy went to an international team of scientists for their discovery that scalp hair whorls are more likely to spiral in a counter-clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere compared with the Northern Hemisphere.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2025
Verb
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The Cubs went from playing in 100-plus degree weather for over a week in Arizona to wind chills in the upper 20s on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field in their 6-2 win over the Angels.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Those rural Black voters are concentrated east of the triangle, extending along winding state highways through small towns, flatlands and farmland toward the Atlantic coastline.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The two twisted helical stair stringers that support the treads are the structural beams that support the stairs and anyone going up and down them.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
3 Jan. 2026
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The team designed a soft, airless wheel that features elastic steel strips in a woven, crossed-helical pattern.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiral. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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