coiled 1 of 2

adjective

as in coiling

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

coiled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of coil
as in curled
to follow a circular or spiral course a vine coiling around a pillar

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of coiled
Verb
The song stays coiled, neither tightening its grip nor exploding into noise. — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026 For the past 860,000 years, its shell has coiled almost exclusively to the right. — Quanta Magazine, 11 Sep. 2026 The lights dangled from white beams, their power cables coiled and hanging like tails. — Caitlín Doherty, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 This species spends most of its time coiled around tree branches more than 30 meters (100 feet) high, descending during the night to prey on birds, small mammals, frogs, and other reptiles on the forest floor. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Aug. 2026 As management continues to prove themselves, multiples are coiled to go higher. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 30 July 2026 For example, a gardener may not see a snake coiled among the plants. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 7 July 2026 Beach waves run the gamut from tight and coiled to long and easy, all depending on your hair type. — Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 July 2026 Probably the most stylish climber in the professional peloton, flowing and coiled, Del Toro stunned in last year’s Giro. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coiled
  1. spiral
  2. curled
  3. spiraling
  4. curved
  5. swirling
  6. looping
Adjective
  • In a new teaser for the episode, Johnson runs through the usual introduction before things quickly spiral into increasingly strange territory alongside SNL cast member Ashley Padilla.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Neouze balances spiral dresses and intricately layered balloon-leg trousers with cleaner separates in jersey and organza.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiral
Verb
  • After the break, Croatia's defense was sliced open again on a quick break and Elliot Anderson curled in a cross from the right and Kane slid in at the back post for a poacher's finish.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • With the rains the park has had lately, the leaves were relaxed and not curled into their dry weather posture.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of curled
Adjective
  • Libfeld brought a massive, spiraling kudu horn to practice with at a recent Torat Emet shofar class.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Aside from a spiraling Wanda, there was also an onslaught of high-profile cameos, which almost felt like fandom wish fulfillment designed to keep us entertained when Wanda wasn’t around.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of spiraling
Verb
  • The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art’s central plaza, which spreads out beneath the building’s curved, hovering form, was always meant to be a generous civic space.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The signature curved heel from the designer’s Larroudé past collections returns, but this time also in a kitten heel iteration.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of curved
Adjective
  • An early tour of his estate, provided by the swirling camerawork of Emmanuel Lubezki, reveals a catalogue of crimes against the animal kingdom, with antlers and furs festooning every surface.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Another highlight is the custom leather ceiling in the owner’s suite, which showcases a swirling pattern like a lollipop’s.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of swirling
Adjective
  • BepiColombo launched in October 2018 and took a long, looping and highly circuitous route toward Mercury our solar system's innermost planet.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The 35-year-old missed with a looping, 72-mph curveball on the first pitch in their third matchup.
    — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of looping

Browse Nearby Words

coil
coiled
coiling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coiled. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All