often attributive
: a device joining two parts so that one or both can pivot freely (as on a bolt or pin)
swiveled or swivelled; swiveling or swivelling
ˈswi-və-liŋ 
ˈswiv-liŋ
: to turn on or as if on a swivel
swiveled his eyes in various directions
: to swing or turn on or as if on a swivel
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
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
His head was on a swivel, looking left and right, right and left.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
It’s also outfitted with a swiveling head that has LED lights and can navigate around corners, plus a telescopic design that can lie flat and reach underneath furniture.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for swivel
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Noun
Maybe this latest swivel in sensibility, back toward a kind of crowd-pleasing populism, necessitates the emergence of a new male archetype: Mr. Hurt but Good.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
His head was on a swivel, looking left and right, right and left.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Verb
Video showed that, as the eaglet took off at 10:46 a.m., Gizmo’s head swiveled, monitoring as Sunny fledged, or made an inaugural flight from the nest.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
It’s also outfitted with a swiveling head that has LED lights and can navigate around corners, plus a telescopic design that can lie flat and reach underneath furniture.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for swivel
Cite this Entry
“Swivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swivel. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
swivel
1 of 2 noun
swiv·el
ˈswiv-əl
: a device joining two parts so that one or both can turn freely
swivel
2 of 2 verb
swiveled or swivelled; swiveling or swivelling
ˈswiv-(ə-)liŋ
: to turn on or as if on a swivel
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