whirls 1 of 2

noun

plural of whirl
1
as in rotations
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point the whirl of the mechanical ride made him dizzy

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in fogs
a state of mental uncertainty so many changes at once had her all in a whirl

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stirs
a state of noisy, confused activity lost an earring in the whirl of the party

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in attempts
an effort to do or accomplish something I'm pretty good at fixing things, so how about if I give it a whirl?

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whirls

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whirl
1
as in swirls
to cause (as a liquid) to move about in a circle especially repeatedly whirled the chocolate syrup into the milk with a spoon

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2
as in twirls
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis the figure skater whirled his partner with effortless grace

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3
as in rotates
to move in circles around an axis or center the gambler held his breath as the roulette wheel whirled

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4
as in scurries
to proceed or move quickly cars whirling by on the highway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in spins
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around my mind whirled from all of the excitement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 whirls
Noun
Macfarlane explained that fire whirls can form when heat generated by a wildfire rises so rapidly that the air begins to spin, similar to how a dust devil or a landspout forms. — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 27 Aug. 2026 Florida has a new niche industry to help those who can afford it get out of dodge before a hurricane whirls ashore. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026 Green’s guitar whirls nimbly underneath the words, while an effect like a muted choir loops in the background. — Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026 The congregation writhes, sometimes in unison, and whirls and stomps; at one point, a line of folks snake through a doorway and into the foreground, as the camera rotates in the opposite direction. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025 Water vortices, such as whirlpools, are little water whirls that spin around. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025 Yates punched the air, running back and forth across the stage and propelling into leaps and whirls. — Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Cool, icy, and tangy, this blender dessert whirls buttermilk, ice, and honey into a sweet, frothy cloud of a frappe perfect for hot summer nights. — Anna Kovel, Martha Stewart, 10 July 2026 The heady Moon whirls into your 6th House of Effort, highlighting habits that support productivity. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirls
  1. rotations
  2. fogs
  3. stirs
  4. attempts
  5. swirls
  6. twirls
  7. rotates
  8. scurries
Noun
  • The ride, since retired, featured 360-degree rotating seats, a 215-foot drop and sudden flips and rotations.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
  • To be clear, this remains a bull market, the S&P 500's uptrend unbroken, with constant rotations between AI tech and remainder of the market fitfully supporting the tape, with pullbacks limited to 3% for half a year.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotations
Noun
  • And fogs are closer to us than clouds.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 May 2026
  • Over-the-counter pesticides and fogs will not do the job.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of fogs
Noun
  • Refrigerated pie crust helps this pie come together with just a few stirs of the whisk.
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of stirs
Noun
  • Assassination attempts against Putin's foes -- routinely denied by the Kremlin -- have been common during his decades in power.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Horned Frogs averaged more rushing attempts than passing attempts while going 13-2.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of attempts
Verb
  • But unlike when Kruger first started producing conceptual art some five decades ago, similar language now swirls all around us more than ever.
    — Amy Verner, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Max Martin, Grande sings of blowing through breakups and make-ups and enduring mounting exhaustion with mass notoriety while the music swirls patiently and frequently angrily underneath.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of swirls
Verb
  • Inside, Benjamin Davalos twirls his measuring jigger and, with a turn of his wrist, releases a swallow’s worth of straight rye.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
  • With smoke streaming from his mouth and nose, McTominay twirls the delighted older man around.
    — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of twirls
Verb
  • Glenn rotates pass rushers, and nine different Jets have a sack, as New York is tied for fifth with 17 sacks as a team.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The company’s latest hardware, called Helios, rotates the ions around a ring, selectively shifting the appropriate ones into one of two arms where measurements and operations of the ions’ quantum states can be performed using lasers.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotates
Verb
  • Inside Botánica Santo Tomas in Wilton Manors, store owner Héctor Giovanni Pizarro Santana sweeps the floor as his tiny Chihuahua, Bella, scurries behind him.
    — Delia Sauer, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Alicent scurries the great halls, desperate to shore up support for her plan to hand Rhaenyra the Red Keep.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of scurries

Browse Nearby Words

whirlpools
whirls
whirlwind
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Cite this Entry

“Whirls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirls. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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