whirlwind

1 of 2

noun

whirl·​wind ˈ(h)wər(-ə)l-ˌwind How to pronounce whirlwind (audio)
Synonyms of whirlwind
1
: a small rotating windstorm of limited extent
2
a
: a confused rush : whirl
a whirlwind of meetings
b
: a violent or destructive force or agency

whirlwind

2 of 2

adjective

: resembling a whirlwind especially in speed or force
a whirlwind campaign
a whirlwind romance

Synonyms of whirlwind

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Adjective

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Examples of whirlwind in a Sentence

Noun My life has been a whirlwind lately. He attended a whirlwind of meetings. Adjective The band went on a whirlwind concert tour. They were married after a whirlwind romance. We continued on at a whirlwind pace.
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.
Noun
Laying a veteran to rest decades later For John and Sandra Kalander, finding out where their long missing relative has been all these years later has been quite the whirlwind. — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 The almost 27-minute-long trailer features a whirlwind of gameplay to expect at launch in November, including car chases, heists, and robberies, plus various side missions such as scuba diving, weightlifting, and maybe even backyard wrestling. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The two of them had a whirlwind couple of months, stopping by the Coachella stage to play with Karol G and hitting the World Cup opening ceremony for a headline-making performance. — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026 Zelenskyy made the request directly to Trump in an Oval Office meeting this week during his whirlwind trip to Washington, according to one person familiar with the matter. — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whirlwind

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1727, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for whirlwind

See All Rhymes for whirlwind

Browse Nearby Words

whirlwig
whirlwind
whirly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whirlwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whirlwind. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

whirlwind

1 of 2 noun
whirl·​wind -ˌwind How to pronounce whirlwind (audio)
: a small windstorm of rapidly rotating air

whirlwind

2 of 2 adjective
: resembling a whirlwind especially in speed or force
a whirlwind campaign
a whirlwind romance

More from Merriam-Webster on whirlwind

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whirlwind

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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