whirl 1 of 2

noun

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

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2
as in confusion
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 commotion
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 try
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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whirl

2 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wər(-ə)l How to pronounce whirl (audio)
1
as in to stir
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 to spin
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 to rotate
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 to speed
to proceed or move quickly cars whirling by on the highway

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to swim
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 whirl
Noun
Give buttery cannellini beans, bright lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs—parsley, basil, and chives—a quick whirl in the blender until smooth. — Maddy Bendgen, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 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
Verb
In a long warehouse in Kandahar’s Zhari district, fans whirl overhead, stirring the hot summer air around bunches of plump, green grapes draped over sticks set up in rows to dry. — Abdul Qahar Afghan, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026 Throughout all this chaos, the Fleetwood Mac touring machine whirled on. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for whirl
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirl
  1. rotation
  2. confusion
  3. commotion
  4. try
  5. stir
  6. spin
  7. rotate
  8. speed
Noun
  • Returnees Connor Meadows, Owen Spell, LaParka Langston, Justin Royes and Jacob Maiva also figure to be a part of a rotation put together by new offensive line coach AJ Blazek.
    — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That left Daniels with a group that featured a lot of sixth-round rookie Matt Gulbin and a little of Julian Good-Jones at center, and a right guard rotation with Good-Jones and undrafted rookie Tanoa Togiai.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotation
Noun
  • The company, which offers credit cards used to make rent and mortgage payments, had fumbled a critical transition, leading to confusion and financial stress for its customers.
    — Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Aggregators typically disclose this information in their search filters, and knowing it in advance avoids confusion on arrival.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusion
Noun
  • The Canadian singer caused a commotion with her ensemble, showing off a head-to-toe Alaïa ensemble from the upcoming Archetypes spring 2027 collection.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • There was no illness or injury, Krauss said, but the dog seemed ready to step away from the crowds and commotion.
    — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of commotion
Noun
  • By default, these devices mark the wearer not only as a geek, but as a try-hard and an egoist.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • All that said, Vedder didn’t completely nail it on his first try.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of try
Verb
  • Every corner of the hotel holds something to evoke curiosity and stir inspiration.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Roast 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once, till cauliflower and corn are tender and edges are browned, pear is soft.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of stir
Verb
  • The Martian atmosphere is thin, just 1 percent the density of air at sea level on Earth, so helicopters flying on Mars must spin their rotors faster than on Earth to generate lift.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The team's prior work had identified that during rpTDEs, supermassive black holes exert a torque on the passing star that causes the star to spin faster during each passage.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of spin
Verb
  • The screen can tilt 20 degrees up or down, swivel right and left 15 degrees, and even rotate 90 degrees into portrait mode.
    — Joe Salas August 28, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Investor attention is currently shifting toward a growing divergence within technology equities, as market capital rotates away from mega-cap tech giants and into the AI infrastructure supply chain.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of rotate
Verb
  • Officers said Rodriguez sped out of the lot and fled the scene.
    — Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The next day, his rebuild group met, and one of the architects brought up prefabricated housing as an option to speed things along.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of speed

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

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

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