swivel

noun, often attributive

swiv·el | \ˈswi-vəl

Definition of swivel

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a device joining two parts so that one or both can pivot freely (as on a bolt or pin)

swivel

verb

swiveled or swivelled; swiveling or swivelling\ˈswi-və-liŋ,

ˈswiv-liŋ \

Definition of swivel (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to turn on or as if on a swivel swiveled his eyes in various directions

intransitive verb

: to swing or turn on or as if on a swivel

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about swivel

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Examples of swivel in a Sentence

Noun

The gun was mounted on a swivel.

Verb

She swiveled in her seat to check the time. She swiveled the chair around to face us.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The back braces on the chair and the bases of both the chair and ottoman are aluminum, and the chair has a swivel mechanism. — Maggie Burch, House Beautiful, "This Is What Makes The Eames Lounge Chair So Special," 7 Nov. 2018 Birch-like flooring is easy to sweep out, and the swivel and bench seats are covered with a colorful custom upholstery. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Sleek camper van sleeps two with space for bikes," 26 Sep. 2018 This is an IPS panel, and the stand allows for height, swivel, and tilt adjustments. — Ian Paul, PCWorld, "Alienware's monster 34-inch curved G-Sync display is $500 off in Dell's 'Black Friday in July' blowout," 12 July 2018 The perks of the lightweight machine are its detachable canister for portable cleaning, swivel steering, and anti-allergy seal. — Collier Sutter, House Beautiful, "People Are Obsessed With This $150 Vacuum From Amazon," 2 Oct. 2018 Since stepping onto the scene in 2016, Sasha Lane has caused heads to swivel with glittering hair jewelry, artful eyeliner, and a palpable confidence that renders any look a touch more aspirational. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "Sasha Lane Has a Celestial Hair Moment on the Red Carpet—and It's Worth a Closer Look," 23 July 2018 The date code is stamped on the nut of the swivel fitting. — Timothy Dahl, Popular Mechanics, "Recall Alert: Franklin Fueling Systems Gas Station Hoses," 16 Mar. 2016 Its swivel cups make for easy traveling, and 4.5 stars out of over 1,500 reviews show its set of headphones that is trusted. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Today's Amazon Deals Will Be Music to Your Ears," 20 Dec. 2017 The front passenger seat swivels and an extra counter space flips up to create an eating space, but our family eats most meals at the large dinette and table area located in the center of the van. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "This custom camper van can sleep a family of 6," 11 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In videos shared on Instagram, Sophia can be seen swivelling her head as models walk by, most likely making a mental shopping list. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "The Breakout Front Row Star at Alexander Wang’s Show? A Robot," 2 Dec. 2018 The larger Portal+ has an HD 15.6-inch screen that can swivel between vertical and horizontal views. — Geoffrey A. Fowler, The Seattle Times, "Facebook unveils the Portal, a video-chat camera for people who still trust Facebook," 8 Oct. 2018 The suite includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist and steering-responsive foglights that swivel to better light the road through bends. — Jonathan Elfalan, Edmunds, USA TODAY, "Advanced driver aids aren't just for luxury cars, Edmunds says," 6 Apr. 2018 But each time, the MCAS system, as designed, kicked in to swivel the horizontal tail and push the nose back down again. — Dominic Gates, The Seattle Times, "Lion Air pilots struggled against Boeing’s 737 MAX flight-control system, black-box data shows," 27 Nov. 2018 They're also built for comfort, with soft, adjustable ear pads that swivel up to 90 degrees. — Alexandria Haslam, PCWorld, "TaoTronics Active Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones are $25 off today," 18 July 2018 The Hover 2 includes a feature called Optical Radar, which is a swiveling stereo sensor that offers 360-degree depth perception and obstacle avoidance. — Dami Lee, The Verge, "The makers of the selfie drone camera are Kickstarting its sequel, the Hover 2," 14 Nov. 2018 The dashboard has been redesigned with some neat swiveling air vents and repositioned controls for the driver on either side of the main instrument display. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "The GTC4Lusso T is a Ferrari you really could drive every day," 23 July 2018 Hidden from the world four floors below, a sweaty sea of partygoers — all twisting, turning and swiveling — transform the Dancesport ballroom studio into one of the city’s largest salsa parties. — New York Times, "Watch These Captivating Salsa Dancers, and Try Not to Break a Sweat," 14 June 2018

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