rotates

verb

present tense third-person singular of rotate
1
as in turns
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis rotate the mirror 180 degrees

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in revolves
to move in circles around an axis or center with mirrors on three sides, she rotated all around to see how the dress looked on her

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 rotates The aircraft, nicknamed Phantom Twist, rotates up to 25 times per second, a rate that outpaces how quickly our visual system can process sharp detail. — New Atlas, 17 July 2026 As the laser passes through the crystal, its polarization rotates. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026 The band rotates through instruments, including alpenhorns, cow bells, and a xylophone, and invites guests onto the floor to polka. — Jacqueline Dole, Southern Living, 10 July 2026 The author rotates in and out of the lives of her cast, teasing out perspectives, manifesting the notion that friendships are what hold us together, year in, year out. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026 The Air Force rotates bombers including B-1s, B-2s and B-52s through Andersen to project power across the Pacific. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 Torifune orbits the sun every 383 days and rotates every 5 hours. — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 6 July 2026 The ride currently holds the record for the largest zero-G stall in America — an inversion that takes riders uphill, rotates them 180 degrees upside down, and hovers above ground for a weightless airtime moment before returning upright. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 At Taste Buds Kitchen, the 5-day summer camp runs 3 hours each morning and rotates through recipes including brownies, pies, pasta and garlic knots. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rotates
  1. turns
  2. revolves
  3. spins
  4. twirls
  5. swings
  6. swivels
  7. twists
  8. pivots
Verb
  • The money can’t be accessed until the child turns 18, and only then for specific purposes, such as going to school, opening a business or buying a home.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • Whereas a proper pull-up requires an overhand grip, swapping to an underhand hold turns the exercise into what less strenuous alternative?
    — Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of turns
Verb
  • But the movie revolves, of course, around the guys planning and executing their labyrinthine heist.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
  • That happens simply because Earth revolves, but the planets also move across the sky, further complicating things.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 May 2026
Definition of revolves
Verb
  • Blake Griffin spins a football on his finger at the premiere of We Are Osos on July 16 in West Hollywood, California.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • The steam then spins the blades of a turbine connected to a generator.
    — Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of spins
Verb
  • Inside, Benjamin Davalos twirls his measuring jigger and, with a turn of his wrist, releases a swallow’s worth of straight rye.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
  • With smoke streaming from his mouth and nose, McTominay twirls the delighted older man around.
    — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026
Definition of twirls
Verb
  • Lizzo observed that this pressure on women is part of a cultural shift — one that swings toward cruelty.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • Collin Morikawa, on the other hand, swings the driver 7 mph slower but loses only 11 yards of distance.
    — Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of swings
Verb
  • Alison swivels her head towards Kyle.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Easy to stash in a purse or beach bag, the stick swivels up so no sharpening is required—nor is a brush.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of swivels
Verb
  • An agitator is a post in the machine’s center that twists so the clothes can rub against each other, while impellers have a cone or disc on the bottom of the drum that spins.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026
  • Pimiento cheese is a Southern classic, and this dip adds a couple twists to impress at any gathering.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
Definition of twists
Verb
  • The first is a ‘buy’ rating for Danish wind giant Ørsted, which Goldman sees benefiting as Europe increasingly pivots energy policy towards offshore wind power after the continent experienced its second price shock in five years.
    — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • Yet when one of the veterans finally receives meaningful discipline, the conversation suddenly pivots away from Clark's safety and toward sympathy for the player who committed the foul.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of pivots

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Cite this Entry

“Rotates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rotates. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on rotates

Nglish: Translation of rotates for Spanish Speakers

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