corkscrewing

verb

present participle of corkscrew
1
as in pulling
to draw out by force or with effort practically every word had to be corkscrewed out of the tight-lipped witness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in winding
to follow a circular or spiral course the trail corkscrews through dense woods to the top of the steep hill

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 corkscrewing Bystanders captured video showing the jet corkscrewing toward the ground, then disappearing behind homes before a large black plume of smoke appears. — Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for corkscrewing
  1. pulling
  2. winding
  3. prying
  4. coiling
  5. yanking
  6. curling
  7. extracting
  8. curving
Verb
  • The Senate Leadership Fund’s pulling money from North Carolina is the latest signal the Republican Party is giving up hope of holding that Senate seat.
    — Natalie Allison, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Timing & Outlook XLU has given back all its Q1 outperformance, pulling back sharply as rising interest rates weighed heavily on rate-sensitive sectors.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pulling
Verb
  • But the image that stays with me is of a meeting with Olga, climbing the winding stairs of our little building for a somewhat chaotic coffee in the festival’s office.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Golf carts shuttle guests around the property, which is more compact than the winding lanes convey, not to mention perfectly laid out.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of winding
Verb
  • Or two birds face-to-face in close proximity, covering themselves with their wings as if to share a secret kiss away from prying eyes, could evoke a giggle.
    — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Davidson was thrust into a reality-TV world of prying paparazzi and untold media scrutiny.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of prying
Verb
  • In addition to data on coiling direction from multiple species going back millions of years, the study incorporates insights from modern foram genetics and biology.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Joe Kramm | Courtesy of Francis Interiors The gold background is a spread of bold graphic lines, undulating shapes and coiling circular motifs, referencing the work of French artist, sculptor and designer Jean Dunand (1877–1942).
    — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of coiling
Verb
  • Zabransky was the first person to reach Rabb in the end zone, yanking him into the air for a bear hug.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026
  • There’s also an ending that revels in a form of catharsis — for the audience watching the play, not the movie — before yanking that, too, away.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of yanking
Verb
  • Sand-like granules collecting in gutters, curling or missing shingles, brittle or cracking shingles, sagging sections and indoor leaks or ceiling stains are the standard indicators that a roof is failing.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Her signature micro braids were scooped up into a half-up, half-down style with free-flowing tendrils curling around her forehead and cheekbones.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of curling
Verb
  • Refiners turn oil discarded by restaurants and other waste fats into transportation fuel, extracting additional value from crops already grown and oils that have already served their original purpose.
    — Edward D. Melillo, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Two oil companies, Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum, are due to begin a joint project extracting from the oilfield within two years.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of extracting
Verb
  • That’s apt because the technological stroke that’s allowed Jamestown to revive One Times Square’s interiors is the evolution of digital screens that can slink along curving walls and respond to touch.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The unintended effect of low-density construction, restrictive zoning, and curving roads is a staggering increase in the distance between destinations.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of curving

Browse Nearby Words

corkscrewed
corkscrewing
corkscrews
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Cite this Entry

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

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