spinning

Definition of spinningnext
present participle of spin
1
2
as in swimming
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around my head spun as I contemplated all the possible problems this restructuring could cause

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in twirling
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis spun the child around until he was hopelessly dizzy

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 spinning Each design was simulated spinning mid-flight and overlaid on 100 real-world backgrounds, then scored by a perceptual model built to mimic human vision, where a lower score meant better camouflage. New Atlas, 17 July 2026 The film is a journey of nine years, watching that thread keep spinning and visiting ten communities on five continents. Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026 Quadcopters remain highly visible because their bulky central bodies stay completely stationary while only rotors spin, but the Phantom Twist mimics a fast-spinning ceiling fan. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026 By spinning in flight at between 15 and 25 Hz, Phantom Twist takes advantage of humans’ decidedly mediocre visual system to turn a solid spinning object into an opaque smear. IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026 Here, the household ate together, sitting on their beds, and whiled away the dark winter days by spinning, weaving, telling stories, reciting poems, and playing chess. Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 15 July 2026 In a now-viral TikTok, Gilbert can be seen spinning on a pole in her living room while following a lesson on her television. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 Aquarius, there’s never a moment where your mind isn’t spinning with new thoughts and ideas. Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 14 July 2026 The actual bill showed what happened when every department and developer started spinning up compute and storage without anyone tracking aggregate spend. Andi Mann, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spinning
Verb
  • Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars — the ultra-dense remnants left behind when massive stars explode as supernovas.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 14 July 2026
  • To go with the vibe of the handmade art, the couple decided on small rotating flavors of coffee and matcha.
    Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
Verb
  • These include leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that can cause flu-like symptoms, which people can contract by swimming in freshwater puddles, ponds, or streams contaminated with animal urine.
    Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
  • In another case, a child contracted it while swimming in Lake Michigan and in yet another, a man was infected while cleaning up sewage.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Verb
  • On any other man, this level of villainy could be mustache-twirling and cartoonish.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026
  • The mustache-twirling villain flees, both Half-ATs and full-on AT-AT Walkers come into play, and our hero and Grogu finish the job.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026
Verb
  • The Oswego Village Board Tuesday evening will consider a revolving loan and a grant for a new breakfast and lunch restaurant planned in the village’s downtown.
    Linda Girardi, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • Buy now, pay later plans and revolving credit cards can make a splurge feel affordable in the moment, but the bill doesn’t disappear when the music stops.
    byDavid Schepp, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 July 2026
Verb
  • For much of the past week, all that Colombia had been able to agree upon was the pre-eminence of Luis Diaz, who remained a whirling dervish throughout the match as his side’s outstanding player.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • That’s the question that has been whirling around Hollywood since the news broke that Amazon MGM Studios was dropping the feature just months after Amazon entered into a $50 billion investment with Sam Altman’s OpenAI.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Mike Gansey and the Philadelphia 76ers don’t have an inkling which way the LeBron James leaves are turning.
    Tony Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • That volatility mirrors the album’s overall mood and thematic POV; TOY COLLAGES feels like one big, bad trip, Dean careening through the existential delusions of those around them before turning toward their own.
    Cassidy Sollazzo, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • When the Bosnian defender planted his right leg below Balogun’s right foot, the American inadvertently stomped on his right ankle, twisting it awkwardly.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • Clark survived that threat of twisting her ankle.
    Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • This entire scene is terrifically tense, kicking off with a stunning shot of the two women standing in defensive positions on the golf course, birds swirling ominously in the cloudy sky above.
    Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 July 2026
  • The rumors that Travis Kelce is about to retire have been swirling for a while.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 14 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Spinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spinning. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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