variants
or spiralled
as in curled
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
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Recent Examples of spiraled
Jacobus started his career in finance in the early 1990s, but that quickly spiraled into him falsely portraying himself as a seasoned financial advisor who managed legitimate investment portfolios, authorities said.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles police issued a dispersal order Wednesday after a massive student protest over federal immigration enforcement efforts spiraled into violence in downtown LA.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
During the Troubles, however—when Ulster spiraled into decades of political violence and communal fear—Heaney’s importance reached beyond literature.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
But the Bears then spiraled to 29th, 22nd and 27th in scoring his final three seasons.
—Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2026
His mind spiraled with negative thoughts until an interaction with his sister prompted a change of mindset.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
As the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the enclave spiralled, Ghanem and hundreds of other KCL students felt compelled to act.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
But instead of prioritizing touching the paint then spraying the ball out to an open shooter, the Knicks have spiraled into iso-ball, over-dribbling and tough shots.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
In classic early-'80s fashion, both icons sport tight, spiraled, permed curls, while Parton’s signature long red acrylic fingernails extend over Richards' open hand.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 19 Jan. 2026
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
Los Angeles police issued a dispersal order Wednesday after a massive student protest over federal immigration enforcement efforts spiraled into violence in downtown LA.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
During the Troubles, however—when Ulster spiraled into decades of political violence and communal fear—Heaney’s importance reached beyond literature.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
But the Bears then spiraled to 29th, 22nd and 27th in scoring his final three seasons.
—Pat Leonard, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2026
His mind spiraled with negative thoughts until an interaction with his sister prompted a change of mindset.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
As the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the enclave spiralled, Ghanem and hundreds of other KCL students felt compelled to act.
—Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
But instead of prioritizing touching the paint then spraying the ball out to an open shooter, the Knicks have spiraled into iso-ball, over-dribbling and tough shots.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
In classic early-'80s fashion, both icons sport tight, spiraled, permed curls, while Parton’s signature long red acrylic fingernails extend over Richards' open hand.
—Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiraled
Verb
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On Saturday, Atallah Abu Hadaiyed heard explosions in Gaza City during his morning prayers and ran outside to find his cousins lying on the ground as flames curled around them.—
Sam Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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Chopped with face-framing curtain bangs and curled into small (almost Shirley Temple-sized) ringlets, the singer’s hair is clearly a reference to her look from the song’s energetic music video.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 2017 Dikansh Parmar of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change in Germany, rescued an Indian cobra (Naja naja) coiled around a train’s window bars that was hissing and, understandably, frightening passengers.—
Richard Kemeny,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
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The lights, neatly coiled last January, have evolved into a glowing knot of holiday resentment.—
Mark Glende,
Twin Cities,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
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By tracking how those signals curved through Jupiter’s atmosphere, the team created detailed maps of temperature and density across the planet.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
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Hallie Henley Sims inherited her own grandmother’s curved back settee and chose to keep the original orange velvet upholstery intact.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiraled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiraled. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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