as in coils
to follow a circular or spiral course
a narrow road spiraling up the mountain to the summit
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Recent Examples of spirals
Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
That is, at least until life spirals you into the next higher tier of the lesson.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
Claire Foy plays Helen, who spirals emotionally after the death of her photographer father, Alisdair (Brendan Gleeson).
—Adam Graham, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Wright plays the overprotective mother Laura Sanderson in the Amazon Prime series, The Girlfriend, who spirals when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home his new mysterious girlfriend Cherry (Olivia Cooke).
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
However, the companion star eventually spirals close enough to the black hole to be spaghettified by its immense gravitational influence.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The Chair Company is an HBO series about a project manager who spirals down a conspiracy rabbit hole after an embarrassing incident at work.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Dec. 2025
Ibsen’s play takes place in George and Hedda’s front room over a two-day period, and the only nighttime debauchery happens offstage at one of Judge Brack’s bachelor parties, which spirals out of control when Lovborg gets into a fight at a brothel and loses his manuscript on the walk back to town.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Russell, for her part, can match Sewell’s intensity without uttering a word, as in a scene where Kate silently unpins her hair while Hal spirals out over Grace’s VP offer.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
The situation quickly spirals out of control, and her life descends into chaos.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
That is, at least until life spirals you into the next higher tier of the lesson.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026
Claire Foy plays Helen, who spirals emotionally after the death of her photographer father, Alisdair (Brendan Gleeson).
—Adam Graham, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Wright plays the overprotective mother Laura Sanderson in the Amazon Prime series, The Girlfriend, who spirals when her son Daniel (Laurie Davidson) brings home his new mysterious girlfriend Cherry (Olivia Cooke).
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
However, the companion star eventually spirals close enough to the black hole to be spaghettified by its immense gravitational influence.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Dec. 2025
The Chair Company is an HBO series about a project manager who spirals down a conspiracy rabbit hole after an embarrassing incident at work.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Dec. 2025
Ibsen’s play takes place in George and Hedda’s front room over a two-day period, and the only nighttime debauchery happens offstage at one of Judge Brack’s bachelor parties, which spirals out of control when Lovborg gets into a fight at a brothel and loses his manuscript on the walk back to town.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Russell, for her part, can match Sewell’s intensity without uttering a word, as in a scene where Kate silently unpins her hair while Hal spirals out over Grace’s VP offer.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spirals
Verb
-
Dry all surfaces completely and replace knobs, drip pans, and coils back on the stove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The tension in a luge sled allows athletes to manipulate it just so, digging in the runners and steering with sharp precision around curves.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The downhill was already one of the signature events of Alpine skiing, a can’t-look-away showcase as women carve down mountains, around curves and over jumps, pushing 80 mph.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Follow blazes on a one-mile hiking trail that winds through wetland hardwoods and hydric hammock with scenic viewpoints for stopping along the river.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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More adventurous hikers can tackle Morne du Vitet, the island’s highest point, or the Sentier de Grand Fond, which winds along dramatic coastal cliffs and natural pools.—
Molly Barstein,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But recently TikTok is discovering the face-framing magic that comes from turning your curls inward.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
5 Feb. 2026
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These handles are usually coloured red or yellow, to identify each team’s stones, and the players control which way the stone curls by rotating the handle in one direction or the other.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To load the product onto the brush, Barnes swirls the tool into the pan twice and taps it twice to prevent fallout.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The lights are dim and jazzy music swirls the intimate crowd.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Each year there are new twists to the game and activities during the three-day celebration of the best basketball players in the world.—
Dan Loumena,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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And the pastas deliver, whether trofie, tiny twists of fresh pasta, with a vibrant green pesto or farfallone, essentially bowties on steroids, in a Calabrian chile butter with bits of smoky pancetta.—
Andrea Strong,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spirals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spirals. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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