twirl
Americanverb (used with object)
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twirls,
present (3rd person singular)
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twirled,
past participle, past
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twirling
present participle
-
to cause to rotate rapidly; spin; revolve; whirl.
-
to twiddle.
to twirl my thumbs.
-
to wind idly, as about something.
verb (used without object)
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twirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
twirled,
past participle, past
-
twirling
present participle
-
to rotate rapidly; whirl.
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to turn quickly so as to face or point in another direction.
noun
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twirls
plural
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an act or instance of twirling; spin; whirl.
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something convoluted or having a spiral shape; coil; curl; convolution.
verb
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to move or cause to move around rapidly and repeatedly in a circle
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(tr) to twist, wind, or twiddle, often idly
she twirled her hair around her finger
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(intr; often foll by around or about) to turn suddenly to face another way
she twirled around angrily to face him
noun
-
an act of rotating or being rotated; whirl or twist
-
something wound around or twirled; coil
-
a written flourish or squiggle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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twirlsimple
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twirlssimple
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have twirledperfect
-
has twirledperfect
-
am twirlingprogressive
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are twirlingprogressive
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is twirlingprogressive
-
have been twirlingperfect progressive
-
has been twirlingperfect progressive
Past
-
twirledsimple
-
had twirledperfect
-
was twirlingprogressive
-
were twirlingprogressive
-
had been twirlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of twirl
Vocabulary lists containing twirl
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:
"Fans are encouraged to be in their seats 20 minutes before kick-off, and to twirl the towels as Snoop walks on the pitch."
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
He has requested a sold-out crowd to be in their seats ahead of kick-off to twirl the complimentary towels – a staple action for supporters in American sport.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
I half expected a Snidely Whiplash twirl of the mustache or a Bertram Oleander sidewise glance and sneer.
From Salon ● Jan. 16, 2026
As she watched the dancers march, twirl and kick, she was struck by all the hard work that went into the production.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025
He continues his twirl, landing a flyer in the hand of a blind woman.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
It just makes me happy, When I hear “Run and Tell That,” I just want to do twirls in my room.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
AI-generated product demonstrations, makeup applications and dress twirls are spreading on TikTok Shop, raising tensions among creators, brands and the platform itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Each episode allows us to get to know more about them beyond a few quirks or twirls of the figurative mustache.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2024
He chops the image up, twirls it around, makes it sing.
From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2024
She twirls one of her braids around her finger.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Clad in a black leather trench coat, the 42-year-old dictator twirled a cigarette as he reviewed lines of factory employees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
Dancing to drums in downtown Yangon, the crowd of nationalist activists and saffron-robed monks twirled miniature national flags and toted banners denying accusations of ethnic cleansing being levelled at The Hague.
From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026
Their appearance was a sensation – combining sheer technical skill with a thrilling joie de vivre, as they span their double basses, twirled their trumpets and clattered their cowbells, all while clad in Venezuelan-flag jackets.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025
Against both New York teams, he twirled a career-high-tying six innings and gave up just one earned run in each start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
“Whatever you say, hero,” she said, then twirled around and lightly ran over to Phillip, waving her hands delicately at her sides.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
I was hired by our park district to teach baton twirling to young children in the city parks during the summer months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
Snoop Dogg has asked fans to serenade him by twirling towels on his first visit to the club.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
At the forefront is Unitree, which went viral in January after its humanoid robots performed a Chinese folk dance live, marching rhythmically while tossing and twirling handkerchiefs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Diners were ushered into a grand, circular room, served by waiters dressed in "hanfu", and treated to an eight-act performance involving twirling dancers and emotive dialogue from actors.
From Barron's ● Nov. 14, 2025
As I was twirling through air, I already knew I was going to stick the landing—bam!
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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.
