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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Examples 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
  • Madrid: Bar And Restaurant Mecca This year’s glitzy gala was held in Madrid–a city famed for its exciting food and drink culture and superb nightlife–bringing bartenders, cocktail aficionados and drinks media in their thousands to the Spanish capital.
    Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Ten times as many people, meanwhile, reported drinking alcohol daily or almost daily.
    Marin Cogan, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • While more of a household name in Great Britain, Wakeman’s ethereal-sorcerer persona onstage was matched in his heyday for barroom carousing and insolvency.
    Jordan Hoffman, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
  • Befitting the times, the album sessions were reportedly carousing affairs.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2024
Verb
  • Cramer noted that Price appeared to revel after Ford had his fingerprints and picture taken during the county’s standard booking process.
    East Bay Times editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
  • The org reveled winners for its North America, Global, Latin America and Local competitions on Thursday night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • So when will fans be able to binge the rest of the series (and learn what really happened in that final scene)?
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Those mega viewership numbers were likely fueled by audiences binging their way through the series and, though there’s been a decline in viewership, this week’s performance indicates that a significant number of people are still finding their way to the series.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
Verb
  • This drink was often used as part of wassailing in England.
    BHG Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2023
  • Reisinger's Apple Country, located in Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake, also has a wassailing event on the horizon.
    Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Jan. 2018

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Cite this Entry

“Birl.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birl. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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