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 Karina, a former Category 4 hurricane spinning about 755 miles east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and Tropical Storm Marie, churning about 705 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026 An exhausting, head-spinning and often downright silly offseason is officially over after college football really kicked off on Thursday (after the always bizarre Week 0 last weekend). — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 Others win on the margins, spinning gold out of small-profile transactions. — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 There was probably some New York influences because that was nationally spinning at the time. — Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026 In addition to Lowell, Hurricanes Marie and Karina are also spinning in the Pacific Ocean. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Agents are accessing SaaS systems like Salesforce, Workday, GitHub and Slack, spinning up downstream workflows without clear visibility and, in some cases, interacting with other agents that further expand access boundaries. — Brian Contos, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Bandopadhyay determined that this element could be a star that was already spinning rapidly before its first encounter with a supermassive black hole. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Conventional gas centrifuges use spinning mechanical rotors to push heavier atoms outward. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spinning
  1. rotating
  2. swimming
  3. twirling
  4. revolving
  5. whirling
  6. turning
  7. twisting
  8. swirling
Verb
  • The dial shows off Australian opal in full force, a dazzling stone that shifts between different shades of blue, depending on the light; the same material is used in between each of the 12 rotating cubes.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2026
  • There are other ways to provide enrichment, like rotating toys every day to stimulate exploration, using puzzle feeder dishes to satisfy hunting behaviors and playing videos for your cat showing birds or fish.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of rotating
Verb
  • Winter also brings memorable encounters with whales across Australia, including swimming with dwarf minke whales along the Great Barrier Reef from June through July and spotting migrating humpbacks along the east coast from May through October.
    — Stuart Rigg, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Grace said her family frequently went swimming together and that Malachi, the youngest of four children, particularly loved the water.
    — Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of swimming
Verb
  • The last time these two met in Tuscaloosa was in 2024, when the Tide won 41-34 on Ryan Coleman-Williams 75-yard, twirling touchdown catch-and-run.
    — Justin Williams, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Einstein’s general theory of relativity dictates that a twirling black hole would bring spacetime along for the ride, warping it in a process known as the Lense-Thirring effect.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of twirling
Verb
  • The production uses a revolving cast, and McCarthy was never scheduled to perform alongside Lipman.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Short-term working capital needs are often better suited for a revolving line of credit.
    — Joseph Lustberg, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolving
Verb
  • The room grows as silent as this whirling slot machine of a city can get.
    — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The sounds of generators humming and chain saws whirling filled the neighborhood Thursday afternoon.
    — Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of whirling
Verb
  • No analytics can project how Johnson’s emphasis on turning the page will affect the team’s chances in 2026.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • As such, the candidates who have practical ideas for turning the economy around and exhibit empathy for Americans worried about how to pay their bills could receive the bulk of the union vote.
    — The Conversation, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning
Verb
  • Kubrick honed his signature style and attention to detail here in a film that’s constantly twisting and turning, intent on knocking its audience off their feet.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The system shudders a bit and then gets back to normal, like a person stubbing a toe or twisting an ankle faces discomfort and difficulty walking for a while.
    — Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of twisting
Verb
  • While excitement is swirling among consumers, Wall Street is staying cool on what the announcement could mean for the stock.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • While that project is still in the early stages, Ron has enough IP swirling around the Amazon ecosystem to keep her busy.
    — Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 9 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spinning

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spinning

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