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
Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
But as the story continues to spiral, there is less certainty around Vrabel’s status.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
ServiceNow could fall even farther as software stocks spiral due to artificial intelligence disruption risks, even though the company once seemed immune to threats posed by AI, according to UBS.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Those public comments made by ownership reverberated throughout the Knicks locker room amid a spiral of nine losses in 11 games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Verb
Republicans turn on one another almost immediately The Republican gubernatorial debate, hosted just an hour later, quickly spiraled into personal attacks and jabs between all of the candidates and the two leaders in the polls.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
But as the story continues to spiral, there is less certainty around Vrabel’s status.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The micro workouts included moves like rotini spiral planks, spaghetti curls and penne plié squats, along with star jacks, which were inspired by the new Protein+ star shape.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
ServiceNow could fall even farther as software stocks spiral due to artificial intelligence disruption risks, even though the company once seemed immune to threats posed by AI, according to UBS.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
One victim of such a spiral would be the Treasury market, the largest bond market in the world.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Those public comments made by ownership reverberated throughout the Knicks locker room amid a spiral of nine losses in 11 games.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiral
Verb
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The cashier responded by extending his thumb, index finger, and pinky finger while keeping his middle and ring fingers curled against his palm.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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Comprising irregular, curling and warped forms, the bed is crafted from stainless steel, powder coated in pink and black shades, with its design reportedly informed by female eroticism and intuition.—
Francesca Perry,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even the entrance is enveloping—a winding, sheltered, dark wooden path that smells like intense relaxation and essential oils.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
23 Apr. 2026
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Climb the 199 winding steps to the top, where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and Cape May Point State Park.—
Carlianne Brennan,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Average mortgage rates remain above 6%, and an executive order by Trump to increase construction of new homes would still take years to bend the curve on housing prices.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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To the right, a slight curve challenges pedestrians’ view.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But when classes resumed this week for the first time since the Iran war began, coiled barbed wire blocked the Palestinian siblings’ path to the village center.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
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As a performer, Tetzloff uses a natural physicality, at times leaning back from the piano as if to take a good look at his hands on the keys, and at other times coiling forward in rapt concentration.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The remote remains unchanged, a simple black rectangle with a glossy circular navigation pad near the top.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
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Many had already spent much of the second half of 2025 treading water as concerns about the timeline for earnings from AI investments, plus seemingly circular financing arrangements, took hold.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 June 2025
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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.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2025
Verb
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The rich textures and thick ambiance of The Eyes of Others are pure high modernist 1960s Italian cinema, but De Sica unfurls the film’s winding intrigues with a contemporary sense of suspense, carnality, and visual boldness.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
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Most excursions center around the Arenal River, which winds through the middle of all the action—think river tubing that's more like bumper cars, and horseback riding across water deep enough to get your boots wet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The two twisted helical stair stringers that support the treads are the structural beams that support the stairs and anyone going up and down them.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
3 Jan. 2026
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The team designed a soft, airless wheel that features elastic steel strips in a woven, crossed-helical pattern.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiral. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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