as in swung
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis
the telescope is mounted on a tripod so you can easily pivot it for viewing in any direction
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Recent Examples of pivoted
But after her parents had a chance viewing of bobsledding on TV and nudged her to try a new sport, Taylor pivoted from the infield to ice, to her surprise, rather seamlessly.
—
Marquise Francis, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
The White House initially defended the post, but after the flood of bipartisan outrage, pivoted to blaming it on an unnamed staffer.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Shabana notes that her character wasn't originally written to be South Asian, but the production pivoted after her audition.
—Alisa Bittner, Refinery29, 12 Feb. 2026
Over the past few years, as generative AI tools took off and consumer behavior shifted, the company quietly pivoted toward a consumer-first agent and ran a private beta to test engagement and conversion.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The high-profile cuts reflect trends in tech and some other sectors, however, where companies have reversed a pandemic-era hiring blitz and pivoted in response to artificial intelligence.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
Bondi then attacked Democrats for failing to ask Garland about Epstein and pivoted to talking about the stock market and the economy.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Now that the trade deadline has passed, most teams still looking to add to their roster for potential playoff runs have pivoted toward the buyout market.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Giants president Buster Posey pivoted to a manager with a different background and temperament, hiring a college boat rocker to replace Melvin’s steady hand on the wheel.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Marquise Francis, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
The White House initially defended the post, but after the flood of bipartisan outrage, pivoted to blaming it on an unnamed staffer.
—Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Shabana notes that her character wasn't originally written to be South Asian, but the production pivoted after her audition.
—Alisa Bittner, Refinery29, 12 Feb. 2026
Over the past few years, as generative AI tools took off and consumer behavior shifted, the company quietly pivoted toward a consumer-first agent and ran a private beta to test engagement and conversion.
—Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026
The high-profile cuts reflect trends in tech and some other sectors, however, where companies have reversed a pandemic-era hiring blitz and pivoted in response to artificial intelligence.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
Bondi then attacked Democrats for failing to ask Garland about Epstein and pivoted to talking about the stock market and the economy.
—CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Now that the trade deadline has passed, most teams still looking to add to their roster for potential playoff runs have pivoted toward the buyout market.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
Giants president Buster Posey pivoted to a manager with a different background and temperament, hiring a college boat rocker to replace Melvin’s steady hand on the wheel.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pivoted
Verb
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Within seconds, Perez smacked a cellphone out of the man's hand, swung at his head and tackled him to the ground.—
Sheridan Hendrix,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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Over the past decade, screening guidelines have swung from recommending routine screening to advising against it to landing somewhere in between, and major organizations still don’t all say it the same way.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Illini were without two starters and rotated just six players for all but the 57 seconds that freshman guard Brandon Lee was on the court.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Four of the cameras faced the panel, and one rotated to join another fixed on an audience who had been provided NFL jerseys of various teams to wear, but only for the evening.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pranks have turned into memes and other visual online jokes that barely involve active communication.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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This blend of folklore and physics effectively turned a cultural holiday into a showcase for national industrial prowess.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Sun Ra twirled, his arms and wrists as fluid as a showgirl’s.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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Hannah Mae Speaker, of Portage, twirled on stage as Glinda from The Wizard of Oz.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Ram spun back onto the road and toward the Altima as it was being driven west on Route 2, state police said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
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On the 5th hole, a 110-yard Par 3, Shipley spun a wedge shot past the pin and watched the ball roll back into the hole, the first ever ace since the league launched last year.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Tech companies have denied the allegations made in the lawsuit and say internal documents are being twisted to portray them as villainous when there are other factors, such as childhood trauma, leading to the mental health issues of some of their users.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Hairstylist Bryce Scarlett pulled it back from her face and twisted it into a low updo with tiny, delicate curling tendrils on either side of the star's face, allowing the gown to shine from the front but adding beautiful detail at the back.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The laser swiveled as its cameras followed the target.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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The seat can even be swiveled outward toward the door opening to make access easier.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Aliens remain topic of interest Questions around the existence of aliens and life beyond Earth have swirled for years, with interest reignited by recent hearings on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
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As scrutiny over the NBA All-Star Game swirled, Anthony Edwards expressed skepticism that this year’s new format would finally improve the level of competitiveness.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pivoted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pivoted. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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