spiral

plural spirals

1. geometryA curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.

   Synonyms: swirl

2. informalA helix.
3. A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.

   My beloved friends and family who sustained and grounded me as I fell into the rabbit hole of this project or down the spiral of new parenthood.

   2015, Jane Ward, Not Gay, New York University Press, →ISBN, page xi

4. rail transportA section of track that forms a circle and crosses over itself, used for gaining height in mountainous territory.

1. not comparableHelical, like a spiral.

   The formation of tornados and water-spouts is very probably identical with that of dust-storms and "devils," viz., a sudden disturbance of the vertical equilibrium of the atmosphere, where by an upward rush of air is generated, which rapidly becomes spiral.

   1877, H. F. Blandford, Indian Meteorologist's Vade-mecum, page 140

present singular third person spirals · US participle present spiraling · UK participle present spiralling · US participle past spiraled · US past spiraled · UK participle past spiralled · UK past spiralled

1. intransitiveTo move along the path of a spiral or helix.

   The falling leaves spiralled down from the tree.

   Synonyms: billow, gyrate, spire

2. transitiveTo cause something to spiral.

   You need to learn how to spiral a ball.

3. figurativelyintransitiveTo increase continually.

   Her debts were spiralling out of control.

   1 more example

   Excessive contrarianism against the liberal establishment has also resulted in slopulism spiralling off into the most moronic of conspiracy theories.

   2025 May 2, Endeavour, “Against Slopulism”, in Counter-Currents, archived from the original on 21 Jun 2025

4. intransitiveTo decline mentally.

   She spiralled into a deep depression.

   1 more example

   This one girl taps my insecurities / Don't know if it's real or if I'm spiraling / One voice tells me that they laugh / George says I'm just paranoid

   2024, Charli XCX, “Sympathy is a knife”, in Brat