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 The mantis arches above the grass, head swiveled impossibly. Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 One camera mounted atop a parking structure can swivel 360 degrees and its zoom function offers a detailed view of a parking lot of an apartment complex across the road. John Wisely, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025 The pair stood almost motionless in the middle of the road, ears swiveling, eyes calm but watchful. Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for swivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swivel
Verb
  • The brewery boasts an expansive outdoor seating area, plenty of delicious flagship brews, and a rotating events calendar of open mics and karaoke.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Deadline understands titles will rotate every eight weeks on average.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But the tone swings between sour and sweet, grounded and silly, and the jokes run more broadly wacky than precise or original.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Tucker swung through it once again.
    Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Letang will turn 39 later this season, and Karlsson isn’t far behind at 35, so expecting any kind of a renaissance here feels unwise.
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Still, there’s an inkling of hope that Swift will turn her attention to her movie in the coming months.
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Jones appeared to target Bourne, who spun the opposite way of Jones’ throw.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • There are few cities in the world with the same head-spinning array of top-tier hotels as Venice.
    Liam Hess, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Because the planet rotates very fast, these rising and sinking currents get twisted and stretched into horizontal flows, AKA jet streams.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Striped shirting fabric was twisted and the lightweight cotton set an airy tone, while thick, low-slung belts reinforced the Y2K feel.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Hartman then twirled his hand as Gudbranson looked up and then put his stick in Gudbranson’s midsection while on the ice.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Other photos show just mom and her daughter twirling together alone.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • New president of basketball operations Austin Ainge will have another high lottery pick and $50 million in cap room next summer and could put assets like that future Suns pick in play to quickly pivot into more of a win-now posture around Markkanen, Kessler, Bailey and the 2026 first-rounder.
    John Hollinger, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • There are a lot of opportunities to start pivoting your own skills to prepare.
    Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Many rumors have been swirling around in Cleveland that more trades are imminent.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
  • None of them became a symbol of the female liberation that was swirling in the culture at the time.
    Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Swivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swivel. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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