swivel

as in to rotate
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis the cat swiveled one ear to listen to a sound outside swiveled around in his office chair

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 swivel California’s 42nd Congressional District, represented now by Garcia, a former Long Beach mayor, could swivel down to pick up more coastal areas, including Orange County’s Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 19 Aug. 2025 Developed as early as the 1940s, this design consists of a single wing that can swivel around the fuselage, much like a scissor blade. Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2025 Rotating car seats, which swivel 180–360 degrees for easier loading and unloading, can offer major convenience for parents. Laura Lu, Parents, 16 Aug. 2025 Robots The tabletop robot resembles an iPad mounted on a movable limb that can swivel and reposition itself to follow users in a room. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for swivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swivel
Verb
  • Wole didn’t understand, still smiling, and Jean rotated in her seat, toward Sylvester.
    David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Coco Bred and Pop’s Patties are new additions at the Barclays’ Brooklyn Market, a food hall with a rotating selection of local and minority-owned vendors.
    Marc Williams, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The officer swung his undercover truck around, radioing his team to converge on a man who was depositing a $50 bill into the machine.
    Avery Schmitz, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement Before the King can swing his blade, Ji-yeon gets in his way.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chemical reactions involving the hematite can turn the rock from red to white and produce iron rich minerals, in this case an iron phosphate called vivianite and an iron sulfide called greigite.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Perhaps more worrying for Browns fans has been Flacco's propensity to turn the ball over, throwing six interceptions thus far, the second most of any quarterback in football through the first four weeks.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In 1921 Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara theorized that two vortices spinning through fluid (which is exactly what tropical cyclones are) could come close enough to each other to begin orbiting a common central point.
    Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2025
  • The wideout caught a Colts QB Daniel Jones throw for what would have been a sensational 76-yard touchdown in the third quarter, spinning away from two tacklers.
    George Ramsay, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • So, in an instant, Zeek twisted and pushed the barrel aside, but the robber grabbed his shoulder, firing a shot that cracked through the quiet.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Then leaked these stories -- leaked stories to the press to string us up, twist us in pretzels.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sprinklers were twirling on little patches of lawn.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Almost every time there’s a close call the player comes up twirling his finger, beseeching his coach to ask for a review.
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Athletes commonly experience groin strains when their adductors can’t handle the demands placed on them during sports that involve cutting, pivoting or making any sudden direction changes.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The actor has since pivoted to developing a TV series based on one of his favorite games, Warhammer 40K, for Amazon.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The two massive tropical systems swirling off the Southeast coast are a stark reminder that the potential government shutdown looms during the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Rumors had been swirling over the past few weeks that Adele and Taylor Swift both passed on performing during next year’s game.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swivel. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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