chiefly Scottish
as in to drink
to take part in drunken revelry spent a good part of his time in Edinburgh birling into the wee small hours of the night

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 birl There was sea salt in the air, and sleepless seagulls were birling in the darkness overhead. Douglas Stuart, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2020 Another, unable to reach dry land, dug his spiked boots into a slippery timber and birled downriver. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2019 In some parts of the United States, birling contests are annual events. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 16 Feb. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birl
Verb
  • Get news about destinations, plus the latest in aviation, food and drink, and where to stay.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2025
  • The midshipmen poured water into the cup, taking turns drinking from it in a victory celebration.
    Tyrone Turner, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Some allegedly caroused until dawn.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Mar. 2025
  • From there, a series of scenes — a late-night house party full of adults drinking and carousing, a cascade of tinsel falling off a Christmas tree, a playground fail — replicate a you-are-there feeling as a preadolescent named Elwood Curtis navigates the agonies and ecstasies of boyhood.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • First up, while people are revelling following the verdict, the emotional intensity of reaction can be traced to a sense of loss.
    Callum Booth, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Key speeches are faithfully delivered to an audience of two, not thousands; a scene of soldiers destructively revelling on a bridge is given a different spirit by ironic, out-of-time horseplay.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who. brain structure & function brain wellness 1 free article left Want More?
    Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The option to binge all eight episodes in theaters for one ticket will also be available.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Image Image In the village of Midsomer Norton, about 50 miles away, 100 people or so turned out for a community event to wassail three small apple trees in the local park.
    Stephen Castle, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
  • This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
    BHG Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Birl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birl. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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