cartwheel

1 of 2

noun

cart·​wheel ˈkärt-ˌ(h)wēl 

1

: a large coin (such as a silver dollar)

2

: a lateral handspring with arms and legs extended

cartwheel

2 of 2

verb

cartwheeled; cartwheeling; cartwheels

intransitive verb

: to move like a turning wheel

specifically : to perform cartwheels

cartwheeler noun

Examples of cartwheel in a Sentence

Noun

The children turned cartwheels and somersaults on the grass.

Verb

She cartwheeled across the floor.

The car hit the pole and then cartwheeled across the road.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

How nice to see somebody turning cartwheels and doing anything to make an audience happy. —Scott Huver, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025

Cyber Monday is alive and kicking, and my brain is already doing cartwheels because Apple deals are hitting hard. —PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

Verb

Sarah Snook cartwheeled through 26 roles — from the beautiful and doomed protagonist to his oily, eloquent corruptor, Lord Henry, to the tragically self-sabotaging actress Sibyl Vane — without, seemingly, losing her breath or putting a single curl on Dorian’s golden head out of place. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2025

Yes, in an industry cartwheeling almost daily through new technologies, new owners, new formats and new audience expectations, the nearly-100-year-old measurement company was the sharpest thorn in Ziffren’s paw. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1917, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cartwheel

• cartwheel flower

Rhymes for cartwheel

• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• conceal
• congeal
• coquille
• corneal
• cornmeal
• flywheel
• foveal
• genteel

Kids Definition

cartwheel

noun

cart·​wheel

ˈkärt-ˌhwēl, 

-ˌwēl

1

: a large coin (as a silver dollar)

2

: a sideways handspring with arms and legs extended