SPIRAL Synonyms: 62 Similar and Opposite Words

spiral 1 of 3

verb

Definition of spiral

as in to curl

to follow a circular or spiral course a narrow road spiraling up the mountain to the summit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straighten

spiral

2 of 3

adjective

ˈspī-rəl

as in winding

turning around an axis like the thread of a screw a spiral staircase takes visitors up into the Statue of Liberty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

spiral

3 of 3

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 spiral

Verb

But the close quarters and intimate relationships mean that personal problems immediately become group issues and, as sitcoms go, quickly spiral out of control. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026 Some critics attacked it as tone-deaf, given the war in Iran and the attendant, spiralling gas prices. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026

Adjective

The gubernatorial campaign is unfolding at a time when many Floridians are watching the cost of living spiral higher. — Morgan Rynor, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 And their friendship, a folie à deux spiral of insane ideas powered by ungodly quantities of pot, becomes akin to a superpower. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Noun

There are regulatory hurdles, faculty contracts, responsibility to students, restricted funds with legal limitations and the death spiral that suspicion of closure can trigger. — Laura MacDonald, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Both sides preferred mutual retrenchment to the devastation that would have ensued had the spiral continued. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for spiral

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral

Verb

Women figured prominently in many of Mansour’s works, such as the 1984 Flight to Egypt, depicting a mother curled over her sleeping baby.

— News Desk, Artforum, 28 Aug. 2026
For our recipe, the Test Kitchen poached just-cooked oysters in milk until their edges began to curl.

— Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of curl

Adjective

Every floor and room is dedicated to specific watch brands and timepieces, featuring bespoke details like watch-hand door handles and winding-crown faucet handles, all crafted by Florentine artisans.

— Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
As such, the show takes you on a winding journey of France’s influential craftsmanship and its impact on America via archival looks, dazzling objects, and more modern creations.

— Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 29 May 2026

Definition of winding

Verb

This species spends most of its time coiled around tree branches more than 30 meters (100 feet) high, descending during the night to prey on birds, small mammals, frogs, and other reptiles on the forest floor.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Aug. 2026
As management continues to prove themselves, multiples are coiled to go higher.

— Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 30 July 2026

Definition of coil

Adjective

There are two lounge chairs inside and two more on the private deck, with a heated infinity pool and a circular daybed, tucked beneath the awning for shade.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
The brand said the jacket is the first product to be certified by Testex Circularity, a standard Arc’teryx co-piloted as part of its work in circular product standards.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of circular

Verb

For Fernández, now Miss Montana, the road to success has been winding.

— Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Three Fall Must-Dos Cruise one of the most underrated fall drives in the US—the Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway, encompassing winding Needles Highway in Custer State Park and Iron Mountain Road, famous for its 300-plus hairpin turns.

— Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of wind

Adjective

So what to us may look like a distinctive left-twisting helical structure is actually the result of these two layers of fibrils oriented in opposite directions.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026
One question is whether the helical structure is also present at the micro- and nanoscale.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of helical

Browse Nearby Words

spiny

spiral

spiraled

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiral. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of spiral

verb

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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