spiraling 1 of 2

variants or spiralling
Definition of spiralingnext

spiraling

2 of 2

verb

variants or spiralling
present participle of spiral

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of spiraling
Adjective
Violent confrontations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota are being driven by outside actors exploiting chaos, not organic protest, according to a protest insider warning that the situation is rapidly spiraling. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026 Demonstrations broke out over the near-collapse of the rial and spiraling economic conditions but grew to become a larger movement against the regime. Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026 In our seminar, Bolin later showed a visualization of 3I/ATLAS's orbit around the galaxy — no neat ellipse, but rather a looping, spiraling path distorted by encounters with gas clouds, spiral arms and dark matter. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
In an industry that rarely grants filmmakers enough artistic latitude, the spectacle of a woman’s creativity spiraling out of control becomes a statement unto itself. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026 The only scenario that makes logical sense would be the Leafs spiraling all the way to fourth- or fifth-last overall, then getting bumped back down to the sixth pick in the lottery and handing that pick to a division rival, who would, of course, use it to draft their next franchise player. Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026 Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash As the Flynn family fractures under the strain of a failing open marriage and three daughters spiraling into dangerous secrets, their small coastal town is quietly dominated by a powerful shipping magnate no one dares to question. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2026 Instead of spiraling, use this time to reflect on what success actually means to you now. Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026 Libya’s central bank is suing Zimbabwe’s finance minister and national oil company for more than $100 million, the latest development in a spiraling debt crisis that’s bedeviled the southern African nation for a quarter of a century. William Clowes, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026 Parents spend less time spiraling about whether their child walked at 12 months or 15, or read at the same pace as the neighbor’s kid. Danielle Marie Holland, Parents, 27 Jan. 2026 Iran claims to have restored order following the nationwide demonstrations that began spreading late last year over the country's collapsing currency and spiraling prices. Alexander Smith, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026 This could spark spiraling inflation, eroding savings and purchasing power, similar to historical crises in Argentina or the Weimar Republic. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiraling
Adjective
  • Pink is then used for the leather mustache and an insole with a dotted spiral pattern.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026
  • These blue stars optically dominate our galaxy's disk, in which lie its spiral arms.
    Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Jim Sawyer, a gentlemanly preacher and city council member whose public service had been winding towards a peaceful conclusion, was asked to replace him.
    Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Another unique dining experience awaits at The Garlic, a rustic and eclectic compound with lush, winding courtyards and nightly entertainment to complement the extensive Italian menu.
    Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The latest revelations come shortly after Mountbatten-Windsor moved out of his longtime Windsor home, just outside of London, amid the swirling Epstein scandal.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
  • This gives circular designs a dimensional swirling effect, but what about linear designs and stripes?
    Grace McCarty, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Coil the Hose Keep your hose in good condition for the coming year by coiling it in large, loose loops to avoid kinks.
    Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Dec. 2025
  • Our Stochastic oscillator has been coiling in oversold ( < 20) conditions for a considerable period, suggesting building demand from buyers and a scarcity of outstanding sellers.
    Jay Woods, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • So far, he’s been spotted draped in a full-length, white fluffy coat and fire engine-red hat and gloves, watching the women’s downhill race, and casually chatting with onlookers at the curling mixed doubles, adorned in a zip-jacket emblazoned with Team USA players’ faces.
    Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
  • After teammate Cory Thiesse—you’re free to address them as Girl Cory and Boy Korey—delivered the game-winning shot in the eighth and final end, a sort of curling version of an inning, Dropkin pumped his fists, and waved his arms up to the crowd at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The entry opens to a dramatic foyer with a sweeping staircase with curving iron balusters.
    Lynn Slaney Silguero, Dallas Morning News, 7 Feb. 2026
  • An industrial landscape gives way to vast marshes spliced by curving waterways.
    Kara Newman, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Tight baseline battles, pressure from Shelton and counterattacks from Ruud, using the violent topspin of those big looping forehands.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Maggie Daley Park Chicago The quarter-mile outdoor skating ribbon in Maggie Daley Park—with 27,500 feet of ice surface—is a looping path with slight elevation changes that curves past pine trees, a rock climbing wall, and a gorgeous city view.
    Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Midwest Living, 4 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spiraling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiraling. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!