swirl

1 of 2

verb

ˈswər(-ə)l How to pronounce swirl (audio)
swirled; swirling; swirls
Synonyms of swirlnext

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move with an eddying or whirling motion
swirling water
b
: to pass in whirling confusion
2
: to have a twist or convolution

transitive verb

: to cause to swirl
swirled her drink
swirlingly
ˈswər-liŋ-lē How to pronounce swirl (audio)
adverb

swirl

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a whirling mass or motion : eddy
b
: whirling confusion
a swirl of events
2
: a twisting shape, mark, or pattern
3
: an act or instance of swirling

Synonyms of swirl

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of swirl in a Sentence

Verb The water swirled around the drain. kept swirling her lemonade until the ice had melted and it was completely watered down Noun A swirl of smoke rose from the chimney. He painted swirls of color on the canvas. ice cream with chocolate swirls
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
The Edition brand has found its way into a variety of international cities as diverse as Reykjavik and Tampa, lending the Marriott portfolio a certain club appeal, where guests and locals swirl together. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Inside the prayer hall, the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet unfurls with swirling floral patterns, and chandeliers echo date palms and blossoms. — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
But now, as excitement swirls over social media giant Meta Platforms' AI agent, traders are pouring into Snap call options on Monday, propelling trading volume to more than four times the month-long average, Cboe LiveVol data show. — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 Landfall is not necessarily where the strongest winds are, and the wider swirl of a storm can spread destruction across large areas. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swirl

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of swirl was in the 14th century

Rhymes for swirl

See All Rhymes for swirl

Browse Nearby Words

swiple
swirl
swirler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swirl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swirl. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

swirl

1 of 2 noun
ˈswər(-ə)l How to pronounce swirl (audio)
1
: a whirling mass or motion : eddy
2
: whirling confusion
lost in the swirl of events
3
: a twisting shape, mark, or pattern

swirl

2 of 2 verb
1
: to move with or pass in a swirl
2
: to be marked with or arranged in swirls
3
: to cause to swirl
swirlingly
ˈswər-liŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on swirl

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about swirl

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All