pinwheel

Definition of pinwheelnext
as in to rotate
to move in circles around an axis or center the kayaker had got sucked into the whirlpool, and his kayak was pinwheeling helplessly

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 pinwheel Some of the outer rain bands and a few storms from Beta will pinwheel into the area from the east and southeast. Dallas News, 20 Sep. 2020 Observations of pinwheeling galaxies suggested that scaffolds of invisible matter held their stars together, while a repulsive form of energy drove galaxies apart. Quanta Magazine, 28 Jan. 2020 The man in the white vest pinwheeled his arms, ushering volunteers through the pick-up line outside the Salvation Army Community Center on Fourth Street with military precision. Lizzie Johnson, SFChronicle.com, 25 Dec. 2019 According to the space agency, IC 2051 is a spiral galaxy, noticeable in its whirling, pinwheeling arms and a bar of stars cutting through its center. Fox News, 23 Dec. 2019 See All Example Sentences for pinwheel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinwheel
Verb
  • Both sides rotated halfway through, giving two ‘starting XIs’ 60 minutes of game-time each, balancing the load out equally across their squads.
    George Edwards, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Then rotate your torso and bring the weight down to the opposite hip.
    Andee Tagle, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Paying down revolving credit card balances, correcting credit report errors and avoiding new debt before applying for a mortgage can also help.
    Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Although some pay their balances in full each month, roughly 60% carry revolving debt, leaving them more financially vulnerable, according to the New York Fed.
    Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • That was a move partly instigated to develop a new crop of fast bowlers, but a home series defeat to Bangladesh two years ago and the loss of the first Test to England in October 2024 prompted the PCB to switch to spin-friendly tracks.
    Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • His approach, and the propaganda machine that has spun it as a law-and-order success story, has turned Bukele into an international figure, and cast leaders like Petro and Cepeda, who helped design Petro’s strategy, as soft on crime.
    Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Choreographer Lincoln Jones walked among them, hand to chin, thinking, and at times twirling alone as if chasing whispers.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Humanoids marched, backflipped, and twirled nunchucks; robotic pandas gambolled.
    Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pinwheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinwheel. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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