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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

On the way to port, a powerful wave struck from two directions creating a whirlpool, and the boat flipped.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

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

Charybdis, a mythical female sea monster, is often depicted as a bottomless sucking whirlpool, but there’s power in accepting your hunger, whether it’s for food or love or armies crossing the sea in boats.

From Slate • Oct. 28, 2024

I cracked my knuckles, then flew forward into the gate, and my avatar vanished into the whirlpool of stars.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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.