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Synonyms

whirlpool

American  
[hwurl-pool, wurl-] / ˈʰwɜrlˌpul, ˈwɜrl- /

noun

  1. water in swift, circular motion, as that produced by the meeting of opposing currents, often causing a downward spiraling action.

  2. whirlpool bath.

  3. Heraldry. gurge.

whirlpool British  
/ ˈwɜːlˌpuːl /

noun

  1. a powerful circular current or vortex of water, usually produced by conflicting tidal currents or by eddying at the foot of a waterfall

  2. something resembling a whirlpool in motion or the power to attract into its vortex

  3. short for whirlpool bath

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
whirlpool Scientific  
/ wûrl′po̅o̅l′ /

  1. A rapidly rotating current of water or other liquid that sucks everything near it toward its center. The meeting of two tides can create a whirlpool.

Etymology

Origin of whirlpool

1520–30; whirl + pool 1; compare late Old English hwyrfepōl

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.

Travelers in select suites can enjoy private whirlpool spas and outdoor showers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

Byrne’s own children, 7 and 9, helped her snap out of the whirlpool of emotion that was making “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

Below the cliff where Arisu and this gentleman converse lies a vast body of churning water with a foreboding whirlpool at its heart.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2025

A boat with one person on board has been towed to safety after breaking down near the Corryvreckan whirlpool in Argyll and Bute.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

They began paddling the small canoe upstream, but before they had gotten very far, a shifting whirlpool spun the canoe around, pushing them toward the rapids and right in the path of a waterfall!

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

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.