spiraled

Twisted around continuously

Spiraled is the past tense of spiral, meaning to move in a winding path around a central point or axis, or to increase or decrease in a continuous and accelerating way.

A staircase spirals upward.

Costs spiral out of control.

The plane spiraled toward the ground.

Inflation spiraled through the economy.

The word often suggests movement that gains momentum, especially in negative contexts: Her anxiety spiraled after the diagnosis.

shape

coil

Wound circular arrangement

  • curlicueDecorative spiral stroke
  • whorlSpiral arrangement of ridges
  • voluteArchitectural spiral ornament

swirl · twist · gyre · loop · scroll · corkscrew · vortex · convolution · ringlet · furl

motion

spin

Rapid rotation around axis

  • twirlRotate rapidly, often playfully
  • whirlRotate very quickly
  • rotateTurn about an axis

descend · plummet · nosedive · plunge · corkscrew · gyrate · tumble · circle · pivot · orbit

decline

downward

Toward a lower position

freefall · nosedive · plummet · unravel · implode · crash · tailspin · descent · tumble · downturn

helix

DNA

Hereditary code molecule

seashell · snail · horn · vine · tendril · chromosome · strand · molecule · cochlea · ammonite

growth

escalate

Increase in severity

mushroom · surge · snowball · accelerate · climb · mount · increase · proliferate · amplify · compound

Opposites
shape/movement pattern

spiraledstraightened

Made free of bends

beeline · arrowed · vectored · direct path · linear

direction of change

spiraledstabilized

Made steady or constant

leveled off · plateaued · steadied · normalized · plummeted

coiling action

spiraledunrolled

Extended from coiled state

uncoiled · unwound · straightened out · unfurled · unspooled

Phrases
Family

spiral, spiraling, spirals, spirally, spiralled, spiralling

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G