swirl
Americanverb (used without object)
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swirls,
present (3rd person singular)
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swirled,
past participle, past
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swirling
present participle
verb (used with object)
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swirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
swirled,
past participle, past
-
swirling
present participle
noun
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swirls
plural
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a swirling movement; whirl; eddy.
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a twist, as of hair around the head or of trimming on a hat.
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any curving, twisting line, shape, or form.
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confusion; disorder.
verb
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to turn or cause to turn in a twisting spinning fashion
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(intr) to be dizzy; swim
my head was swirling
noun
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a whirling or spinning motion, esp in water
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a whorl; curl
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the act of swirling or stirring
-
dizzy confusion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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swirlsimple
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swirlssimple
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have swirledperfect
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has swirledperfect
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am swirlingprogressive
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are swirlingprogressive
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is swirlingprogressive
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have been swirlingperfect progressive
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has been swirlingperfect progressive
Past
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swirledsimple
-
had swirledperfect
-
was swirlingprogressive
-
were swirlingprogressive
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had been swirlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of swirl
1375–1425; late Middle English (north) < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian svirla; cognate with Dutch zwirrelen to whirl, German (dial.) schwirrlen to totter; all < a root *swir- (whence Danish svirre to whirl, German schwirren to whir) + -l- frequentative suffix
Explanation
To swirl is to turn in circles or spirals, the way a leaf caught in a whirlpool swirls, or a toy duck swirls in the bathtub as you empty the water out. Smoke might swirl up from your campfire, keeping the mosquitos that swirl through the air nearby from biting you. Or you can swirl on a carnival ride that spins you in circles until you step back onto the ground and the world swirls for a while, until you regain your balance. Swirl is a noun, too, as in a swirl of dust. It was originally Scottish for "whirlpool."
Vocabulary lists containing swirl
"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A new “protein boost” recipe for Conagra’s Duncan Hines chewy fudge brownie mix involves adding a cup of blended cottage cheese and a swirl of peanut butter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
IM-3 is expected to become the first mission to explore the surface of a lunar swirl, allowing robotic systems and deployed instruments to investigate this still mysterious region in greater detail.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026
Just before serving, top each one with a generous swirl of citrus-whipped ricotta from a piping bag.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
As rumors swirl about her imminent New York City nuptials, megastar Taylor Swift - a master at controlling her public image - has kept any details under wraps.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Mrs. Kuen gazed into her cup, jiggling it to swirl the tea.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
He takes time to let us hear what a glacier sounds like while showing the swirls of blue ice, but also what it looks like when glaciers collapse and vanish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
When frosting a cake, consider piping in swirls rather than straight lines for a tipsy Victorian look.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
On the island's downwind side, the satellite captured von Kármán vortex streets, which look like repeating swirls spinning in opposite directions.
From Science Daily ● May 6, 2026
But start folding in coconut shreds, caramel swirls, candy pieces, cookie dough, marshmallows?
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2026
He looks over the loops and swirls and leaves etched into the top.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
Since the beginning of the trial, conspiracy theories about Patrick Clancy have swirled online, including some speculating about his involvement.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
As speculation about McConnell has swirled, Beshear has been inundated with questions regarding the senator’s absence.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Questions swirled around whether players would decline the visit this year after it did not happen during a scheduled visit to Washington in April.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Controversy has already swirled around the football governing body's official ticketing for the largest-ever World Cup, which begins June 11 with an expanded 48-team format and 104 matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
“New bedding,” he said, and the dust of the hay had swirled in the sunlight like a shower of gold.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
The other swirling possibility is that a minor candidate could drop out, as a way to help Ms. Peltola or Sen. Sullivan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
With questions swirling around whether the stay is permanent, reports have noted the couple intend to keep their existing homes in California and Portugal.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
The researchers believe these swirling flows are evidence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, a familiar phenomenon in fluid dynamics.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026
Experts at Chilbolton Observatory, operated by the UK's national space laboratory RAL Space, monitor UK-licenced satellites and fast-multiplying fragments of space debris swirling around them.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
For a moment Jack thought they’d all be sucked into the genie’s vortex, but as quickly as it started, the swirling fog exploded straight up into the snow ceiling.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
