twirl
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause to rotate rapidly; spin; revolve; whirl.
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to twiddle.
to twirl my thumbs.
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to wind idly, as about something.
verb (used without object)
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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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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
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an act of rotating or being rotated; whirl or twist
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something wound around or twirled; coil
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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
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has twirledperfect
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am twirlingprogressive
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are twirlingprogressive
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is twirlingprogressive
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have been twirlingperfect progressive
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has been twirlingperfect progressive
Past
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twirledsimple
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had twirledperfect
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was twirlingprogressive
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were twirlingprogressive
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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.
"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
It is nimble enough to twirl a delicate paper cylinder without crushing it, though in a recent demonstration, the object occasionally slipped from the hand’s grasp.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025
I focus on a tree trunk across the stream, twirl the sling over my head, and let a stone fly.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
