Thoughts swirled like a tornado.

Meaning: This means that a lot of thoughts were going through someone's mind all at once, in a very fast and confusing way.

Choice of Words: Swirled is an action that refers to moving in a circular or spiral motion. Like is used for making comparisons. Tornado is a powerful, destructive storm. When you put them together, the sentence suggests that the thoughts were moving quickly and chaotically in the person's mind.

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Related Expressions