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.
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to wind idly, as about something.
verb (used without 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 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
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has twirledperfect
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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:
Bounce with your hands in front of you as if you’re driving a car down a rocky street, or put your hand above your head and try for an elegant, ballerina-inspired twirl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2026
And he has asked the crowd to be in their seats ahead of kick-off to twirl complimentary towels -- a common sight among fans in American sports.
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
I twirl one around my finger to put a loose wave in her hair.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Fish swim around seagrass, penguins gather above, an ice dancer twirls around them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
It’s only in the final few minutes of the course, once the room comfortably twirls to embrace metaphorical sunshine and assertively sashays to leave the negativity behind, that the song is triumphantly revealed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2025
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
The Minister of Law twirls a black mustache between thick fingers.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Has any noncinematic couple twirled three times when kissing in public?
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
After “Michael” finished, Patterson and other attendees strutted and twirled while the credits rolled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Rashid had Seifert stumped before Brook twirled through his tweakers - Ahmed having Rachin Ravindra caught mid-wicket in the 12th over.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 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
He gave a jump in the air, twirled, ran a few steps, stopped, looked all around, sniffed the smells of afternoon, and then set off walking down through the orchard.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
Visitors twirling clockwise for luck have left a small crater on the bull's "lucky spot".
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
The physical act of twirling noodles while discussing something as monumental as coming out diffuses the tension just enough for honesty to survive.
From Salon ● Feb. 15, 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
Instead, she sat and watched the shadows play on the wall, leaping and twirling to the steady beat of the princess’s rattling breath.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
