spinning

verb

Definition of spinningnext
present participle of spin
1
as in rotating
to move in circles around an axis or center spinning on its axis, the Earth makes one complete rotation every 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 A week after Sony releases The Social Reckoning, Bleecker Street will open Musk, Alex Gibney’s head-spinning documentary, running close to four hours, about the rise and rise of Tesla titan Elon Musk. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 The motor is inspired by aerospace engineering, spinning at 125,000rpm to generate exceptionally strong suction power. — Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026 In 2011, Joe Kay debuted Soulection as a college radio show at Cal State Long Beach, spinning rare B-sides, progressive beats, inventive flips of classic records and soulful underground tracks. — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Spinnova and Tearfil signed a yarn development agreement in June 2023, choosing the Portuguese spinner’s Guimarães mill as the site for Spinnova’s research and development yarn-spinning line. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 And the midterms could bring yet another set of head spinning shifts, especially if Democrats take control of Congress. — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026 First turbine tests The researchers said OPUS 3 began collecting scientific data before its rotor even started spinning. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026 Broken or Slipped Drum Belt One of the most common reasons a dryer stops spinning is a broken or slipped drum belt. — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026 According to the suit, the video depicts the staff member grabbing a Black student from behind, spinning him around, grabbing him by the shirt and shoving him repeatedly into the metal roll-down door of a concession stand. — Eric Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spinning
  1. rotating
  2. swimming
  3. twirling
  4. revolving
  5. whirling
  6. turning
  7. twisting
  8. swirling
Verb
  • Other specialty offerings include Asian plums, Hawaiian longan and a rotating selection of seasonal tropical fruit.
    — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The pool is a small, rotating group of journalists that provides coverage of the president and represents the larger press corps.
    — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of rotating
Verb
  • The Accents Perhaps even more than the gigantic thing swimming in the ocean eating people, the thick Newfoundland accents are Below’s standout feature.
    — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Forecasters also expect strong rip currents and dangerous waves, which increase the risk of drowning for people swimming at the beach.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of swimming
Verb
  • Schlittler sent his hometown Red Sox packing last October, striking out 12 while twirling eight scoreless innings in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • At one point, he could even be seen lifting her up and twirling her around the beach.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of twirling
Verb
  • Kura Sushi, a tech-forward revolving sushi bar with more than 100 menu items, also debuted in Ballantyne this summer.
    — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Relying purely on cash reserves is no longer viable when ownership utilizes revolving institutional liquidity.
    — Chris Koras, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolving
Verb
  • The whirling magnetic states arise in these non-Heisenberg compounds partly because the local atomic environment creates a strong crystal electric field.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The combat scenes, frequently pitting Latif’s sharpened steel against more popular American weaponry, are staged with whirling verve, wit and, best of all, balletic coherence.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of whirling
Verb
  • The Dome, with its spatial sound and vibrations, seemed to help create the conditions for turning my attention inward.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • If this trajectory continues, those proportions will only grow, with red states turning maximally red and blue states maximally blue.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of turning
Verb
  • The woman denied the allegations, and Ross hit her in the chest several times, the report says, and choked her, restricting her breathing by twisting the collar of her hoodie.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For much of the 1990s and 2000s, Guatemala had been twisting its way toward democracy, but corruption networks and drug traffickers had insinuated themselves into the country’s institutions.
    — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of twisting
Verb
  • Inside the prayer hall, the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet unfurls with swirling floral patterns, and chandeliers echo date palms and blossoms.
    — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Despite the extensive commentary swirling around the burros, surprisingly little is known about the herd itself.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of swirling

Browse Nearby Words

spinners
spinning
spin-off
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Cite this Entry

“Spinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spinning. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spinning

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