as in helicopters
a vehicle for traveling through the air that obtains its lift from rotors which spin horizontally
from the sky a police whirlybird was able to track the fleeing carjacker
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 whirlybirds
Of course, there’s more to it than simply getting a nod from over half a dozen nations to order a job lot of whirlybirds.
—
David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirlybirds
Noun
-
The firm, known for its Magni350 and Magni650 engines, launched the HeliStorm for helicopters in 2025.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Following 19 months of surveillance, more than 500 troops, six helicopters, and several planes descended on the facility, which was being protected by a perimeter of roughly 30 pickup trucks and over 60 gunmen.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But even painstaking security measures didn’t stop choppers from flying over the wedding site.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Below in the courtyard where the big choppers had been loading, the headlights from the cars and trucks surrounding the parking lot were still on to light the way for the choppers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirlybirds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirlybirds. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
