as in to curl
to follow a circular or spiral course
a narrow road spiraling up the mountain to the summit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in winding
turning around an axis like the thread of a screw
a spiral staircase takes visitors up into the Statue of Liberty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiral
Joe Walsh, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
On Thursday, though, Staios released an explosive statement condemning those who continue to spread stories or add to the spiraling rumor mill.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
In Hubble's recent image, NGC 6951 unfurls its graceful spiral arms, covered in red nebulae glowing with hydrogen gas, a key fuel for new stars.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
After fuming and throwing a trash can in the aftermath, Marty falls into a mental spiral.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Verb
Small business owners in Iran have long been seen as supportive of the regime, but anger over spiraling inflation and the devaluation of the nation's currency, which lost more than 40% of its value last year, making everyday goods impossible for many people to afford, sparked the demonstrations.
—Adjective
While fans may no longer watch those familiar white discs spiral across the field, the memories remain—etched in photos, in inside jokes, and in the hearts of those who once stood shoulder to shoulder, laughing as flour dust filled the West Texas air.
—Noun
McGilchrist at one point likens time to a circle and finally lands on a spiral, but that doesn’t fix the problem.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral
Verb
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Robinson got confused, tried to switch onto the curling Dixon-Waters while his defender, Chuck Bailey III, also trailed him to the wing, leaving Gwath alone under the basket for an easy dunk.—
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In winter, enjoy the festive Christmas market at Römerberg, take in the fairytale atmosphere of the winter lights at the Palm Garden, or watch a local variation of curling played amid the skyscrapers at Skyline Plaza.—
Adjective
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Experts say that these legal challenges are just the beginning of what will surely be a long and winding road through the U.S. court system.—
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Thake took a long and winding trip down the memories of South Yorkshire football, a path which eventually led him to the living room of a shy, almost reclusive Rotherham man called Terry Moran.—
Noun
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My visit to Sani Isla had a learning curve.—
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This means that there is a way of stretching the velocity curve in one frame to match the steeper velocity curve in a later frame.—
Verb
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Coil the Hose Keep your hose in good condition for the coming year by coiling it in large, loose loops to avoid kinks.—
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The lights, neatly coiled last January, have evolved into a glowing knot of holiday resentment.—
Adjective
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Both pieces were on loan, a detail that not only speaks to her appreciation for circular fashion but also signals her generation's appreciation for sustainability and ethical consumption.—
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So many of these lies and the endless chatter of the circular spending.—
Noun
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Its eponymous flowers are deep red-orange and the foliage is composed of whorls of needle-like, silvery-blue leaves.—
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In 2024, the Ig Nobel Prize in anatomy went to an international team of scientists for their discovery that scalp hair whorls are more likely to spiral in a counter-clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere compared with the Northern Hemisphere.—
Verb
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Solar panels, for example, can make a big difference in sustainable energy generation, and so can wind power.—
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New Glenn, the towering orbital rocket that Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin designed to compete with SpaceX’s dominant Falcon rockets, is back for its second launch ever — this time with a job to send twin spacecraft on a long, winding trip to Mars.—
Adjective
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At night, the helical patterns look adorned with ribbons of LED lighting, transforming the bridge into a shimmering sculpture that reflects in the waters below.—
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Any irregularity or jagged appearance in the helical area typically reflects changes in the shape or integrity of the cartilage beneath.—
Cite this Entry
“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiral. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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