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
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has twirledperfect
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am twirlingprogressive
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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:
Her “Floating Score,” inspired by Andy Warhol’s “Silver Clouds,” features 10 mirrored inflatables that, according to her artist statement, “will twirl rhythmically above the crowds, changing position, order and orientation.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
"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
I twirl in the aisle like some sort of princess.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
A bespectacled researcher who often twirls his curly hair, Amodei authors lengthy documents philosophizing about the importance of AI safety and is known for his deliberate approach to problem solving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
She’s wearing tight jeans, heels and a baggy Harvard hoodie and twirls the sweatshirt’s drawstrings in her fingers as she speaks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 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
My head barely misses the creaky fan that twirls above.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
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
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
Yamamoto gave up one run, a two-out RBI double to Lenyn Sosa in the fourth inning, but twirled his way through an otherwise overmatched White Sox lineup, retiring the final 10 batters he faced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2025
The two leaped and twirled around each other in fervent circles, every so often drawing close to exchange blows, like two hawks locked in a fatal spiral of courtship.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
We have become so accustomed to seeing her twirling her left-arm spin like a metronome, picking up wickets for fun, that it is easy to forget she is still only 27 years old.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
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
Swansea co-owner Snoop Dogg wants fans to serenade him by twirling towels when he visits the Welsh football club for the first time.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 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
“I can see Ida Nee twirling her baton. I can see Ruthie. She’s waving at us. And there is Archie. And Bunny.”
From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
