revolving-door

adjective re·volv·ing-door \ ri-ˈväl-viŋ-ˈdȯr , -ˈvȯl- also -ˈvä-viŋ- or -ˈvȯ-viŋ- \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of revolving-door

: characterized by a frequent succession (as of personnel) or a cycle of leaving and returning

revolving-door governments

First Known Use of revolving-door

1973

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

revolving door

noun

Definition of revolving door

: a revolving-door system or process

See revolving door defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of revolving door from the Web

Almost three times as many people have used the shelters like revolving doors — exiting and returning — as have moved into housing.

— john wilkens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "City's shelters falling short of goals in finding permanent housing for the homeless," 17 June 2018
The Ramblers were the antithesis of the recruiting revolving door, just passing through, one-and-done zeitgeist that has overtaken the college game.

— christopher l. gasper, BostonGlobe.com, "Despite loss, Loyola Chicago proved it belonged all along," 1 Apr. 2018
And then there’s all the people that are revolving doors and military people into military contractors, blah, blah, blah.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Chris Kirchhoff, formerly of the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office, on Recode Decode," 31 Mar. 2018
There’s a revolving door between the places where policy gets made -- Congress and the administration -- and lobbying shops on K Street.

— Bloomberg.com, "Washington Leak Culture Meets Wall Street's Insider-Trading Cops," 29 Mar. 2018
The idea behind the package of reforms is to slow the prison revolving door by diverting non-violent drug felons from prison to local jails, and treating those with mental illness and addiction while they are locked up.

— mary ellen klas and emily l. mahoney, miamiherald, "Florida is afraid of its prison system. Here’s what lawmakers want to do about it.," 18 Feb. 2018
Kudlow, a familiar commentator on CNBC who worked in the Reagan administration's budget office, enters an administration revolving door that on Tuesday saw the abrupt firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

— don lee, latimes.com, "Trump names Larry Kudlow top White House economic advisor," 14 Mar. 2018
For all the swings of the West Wing revolving door over the last year, Mr. Cohn’s decision to leave struck a different chord for people.

— kate kelly and maggie haberman, New York Times, "Gary Cohn Says He Will Resign as Trump’s Top Economic Adviser," 6 Mar. 2018
Seriously, imagine it: people of all ages and walks of life having a free pass to the world’s revolving door of installations, exhibits, and thought-provoking commentaries.

— cnt editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why All Major Museums Should Be Free," 19 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'revolving door.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of revolving door

1895

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

REVOLVING-DOOR Defined for English Language Learners

revolving door

noun

Definition of revolving door for English Language Learners

: a type of door that turns in its frame when it is used and allows people to go both in and out of a large building at the same time
—used to describe a situation in which the people who have a particular job or position are constantly or frequently changing
—used to describe a situation in which someone leaves and returns to a place or position many times