as in helicopters
a vehicle for traveling through the air that obtains its lift from rotors which spin horizontally
from the sky a police whirlybird was able to track the fleeing carjacker
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Recent Examples of whirlybirds
Of course, there’s more to it than simply getting a nod from over half a dozen nations to order a job lot of whirlybirds.
—
David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
David Szondy
february 24, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whirlybirds
Noun
-
The firm, known for its Magni350 and Magni650 engines, launched the HeliStorm for helicopters in 2025.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Following 19 months of surveillance, more than 500 troops, six helicopters, and several planes descended on the facility, which was being protected by a perimeter of roughly 30 pickup trucks and over 60 gunmen.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The report found that the choppers spend less than half of their flight time responding to violent crimes — findings that the department disputed in its own report.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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In this role, attack choppers could be modified to highly maneuverable launch platforms for loitering munitions.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whirlybirds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whirlybirds. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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