as in spiral
turning around an axis like the thread of a screw Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, travels a helical path through space

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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 helical Unlike standard laser beams that propagate straight, vortex beams twist along their axis, creating a helical wavefront with a distinct ‘null intensity’ region at the center. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2025 These helical stacks are similar to a screw thread. Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2025 Both resulted in a clear improvement in the efficiency and stability of the OSC, but the chiral – or helical – structure yielded the best results. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Mar. 2025 When printed with a helical structure, that number increased to 56 percent higher efficiency and 50 times more stable while the process was also successful for manufacturing. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for helical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for helical
Adjective
  • The dark spiral arms lag behind the stellar arms, forming a sort of unseen shadow.
    Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
  • Prosecutors released new excerpts from Luigi Mangione's spiral notebook, detailing the alleged killer's motive for targeting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
    Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Carter Verhaeghe, a Cup champion in Tampa who was a cap casualty there, took a long and winding path to being one of the league’s most clutch players.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • Snowflake’s biggest drawback for most professionals has been its long and winding path to full-year profitability.
    Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 27 May 2025

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“Helical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/helical. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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