twirl
Americanverb (used with object)
-
twirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
twirled,
past participle, past
-
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)
-
twirls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
twirled,
past participle, past
-
twirling
present participle
-
to rotate rapidly; whirl.
-
to turn quickly so as to face or point in another direction.
noun
-
twirls
plural
-
an act or instance of twirling; spin; whirl.
-
something convoluted or having a spiral shape; coil; curl; convolution.
verb
-
to move or cause to move around rapidly and repeatedly in a circle
-
(tr) to twist, wind, or twiddle, often idly
she twirled her hair around her finger
-
(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
-
twirlsimple
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twirlssimple
-
have twirledperfect
-
has twirledperfect
-
am twirlingprogressive
-
are twirlingprogressive
-
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 models lounge, leap and twirl their pajamas in the daylight, Equihua mused that she had the feeling of being in a dream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2025
I took in Kazi’s words, let them dance and twirl in my head, replayed them over and over like a beautiful piece of music.
From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani
Fish swim around seagrass, penguins gather above, an ice dancer twirls around them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
He twirls his glasses in his hand as he speaks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
Critics once dismissed Rajinikanth as a mere "Style King," known for his cigarette flicks, sunglass twirls, and punchy dialogues laced with wry humour.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2025
This season allows us to get to know more of them beyond a few quirks or twirls of the figurative mustache, although there’s a share of that.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2024
The man twirls his cane between his fingers.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
In one alleyway, a young man in traditional garb twirled in a dance for tourists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Sure enough, as Wednesday’s game reached the fifth inning, a few dozen young men ran to the very back of Section 535, removed their shirts, twirled them over their heads, and chanted “Sell the team!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
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
He found a tent full of acrobats and stayed amongst them as they twirled and spun until his neck ached from staring up.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Meanwhile, those at the back of the “Clubhouse” tier danced freely in yards of open space, twirling, to the dismay of the onlooking VIP crowd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
The malignant Nurse conjures up a pack of monkeys, an octet of twirling black dresses, and a silver-painted dancer to seduce the Dyer’s Wife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Automated conveyor belts shuttle boxes of wine along to a massive pallet wrapper, like a giant cling film dispenser twirling the pallets around ready for shipment.
From BBC ● May 18, 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
“Yeah. I get that. But don’t you ever think that maybe you’re kind of...making yourself invisible?” she asks, twirling its stem between her fingers.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
