pinwheels

verb

present tense third-person singular of pinwheel
as in rotates
to move in circles around an axis or center the kayaker had got sucked into the whirlpool, and his kayak was pinwheeling helplessly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinwheels
  1. rotates
  2. revolves
  3. spins
  4. twirls
Verb
  • Glenn rotates pass rushers, and nine different Jets have a sack, as New York is tied for fifth with 17 sacks as a team.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The company’s latest hardware, called Helios, rotates the ions around a ring, selectively shifting the appropriate ones into one of two arms where measurements and operations of the ions’ quantum states can be performed using lasers.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotates
Verb
  • Along with the tempo and play-making trio, West Virginia’s philosophy also revolves heavily around getting playmakers in space.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Lialina’s practice as an artist and archivist revolves the uneven promises of permanence, loss, maintenance, and distribution that the internet, in its many formats and phases, represents.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolves
Verb
  • In a flowing, ice-blond wig, Ashford’s character spins an escalating series of imperial atrocities.
    — Mariah Kreutter, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The Roadster 2 reaches over 26 feet in the air through its cold-gas thrusters, spins once in mid-air, then uses the same tech to land safely.
    — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of spins
Verb
  • Inside, Benjamin Davalos twirls his measuring jigger and, with a turn of his wrist, releases a swallow’s worth of straight rye.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
  • With smoke streaming from his mouth and nose, McTominay twirls the delighted older man around.
    — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of twirls
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pinwheeling
pinwheels
pioneer
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Cite this Entry

“Pinwheels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinwheels. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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