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
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Recent Examples of pinwheel
Forecasters warned of the arrival Thursday into Friday of a second intensifying low pressure area, which will pinwheel around the first bomb cyclone in an atmospheric interaction known as the Fujiwara Effect.
—
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
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
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
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
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
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
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The modular roof bars rotate 90 degrees to become proper crossbars when needed, while the alloy wheels are subtly recessed to sit within the line of the tyre, helping avoid scrapes from inevitable encounters with kerbs or rocks.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Roast in a preheated oven until extra crispy and browned, rotating baking sheet halfway through roasting time, about 20 minutes.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There’s also a revolving cast of characters, like musical theater snob Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale), her pianist brother Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), and Troy’s puppy-dog-esque best friend Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu), all with varying levels of excitement about Troy’s sudden interest in arpeggio scales.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
24 Jan. 2026
-
There’s no revolving bookshelf in place just yet.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Williams blasted Zayn with a spinning heel kick, but Priest entered the ring and hit him with a flatliner.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Read more Now that opening-day speeches and start-of-session ceremonies are out of the way, the Colorado legislature’s work is beginning to spin up in earnest.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Bring skates or rent a pair, and twirl around with the Chicago skyline as your backdrop.—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The trailer opens with the ominous tones on Also sprach Zarathustra and an image of a Presley nervously twirling his ring and tapping his foot.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinwheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinwheel. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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