pinwheeling

verb

present participle of pinwheel
as in rotating
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

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinwheeling
  1. rotating
  2. revolving
  3. spinning
Verb
  • Smith has experimented with several rotating analysts through the years; at least three of them (Keyshawn Johnson, Smith and Shannon Sharpe) were let go.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
  • Rather, currency will be extracted that can be used either to upgrade Vault Breaker kits or abilities, or it can be used to purchase rotating store items that can be used in any mode, including the normal extraction modes.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of rotating
Verb
  • Faithful gather to sing hymns and sip Bloody Marys, and a revolving cast of chaplains, including one who once served at the University of Texas chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, lead services.
    — Pam LeBlanc, Southern Living, 20 July 2026
  • Charlotte’s newest revolving sushi bar is poised to open later this week.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
Definition of revolving
Verb
  • With only 23 minutes of oxygen left, Foale and cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliev and Alexander ‘Sasha’ Lazutkin were able to repair the damage and stop the tumbling spacecraft from spinning wildly out of control.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 25 July 2026
  • Attendees are welcomed into the Nickelodeon activation with bubbles, a slime fountain and a big orange DJ stand spinning cartoon classics.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2026
Definition of spinning
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.

Browse Nearby Words

pinwheeled
pinwheeling
pinwheels
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinwheeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinwheeling. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All