1
as in rotates
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
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2
3
as in turns
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
1
as in rotations
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point
the ice skater moved into a tight spin at the end of her routine
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2
as in excursions
a short trip for pleasure
a family out for a spin on a beautiful Sunday afternoon
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spins
Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
The rippled, frill-like edges are seen on the lateral and medial side panels of the shoe across three neutral earth tone spins on the 204L in Sea Salt/Linen (style code U204L2SZ), Lone Star Gray/Sea Salt (style code U204L5AV) and Reflection/Truffle Salt (style code U204L6A6).
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
They are carefully balanced so that the rotor spins smoothly without wobbling.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Taken together, these features strongly suggest the object was part of a bow drill — a device that spins a shaft using a bow and string to create rapid back-and-forth rotation.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Let her courage linger while the sports calendar spins uncontrollably.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Angular momentum, which describes how much rotational motion an object has, depends on both how fast the object spins and how its mass is distributed.
—Amy Pope, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
That’s when Hughes stops abruptly, spins away from the challenger while still solidly in possession of the puck and heads back toward the blue line to find either open ice or a teammate who is in position to shoot.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
Cobb spins Texan tales that center on women’s complexities.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026
The 18-year-old wowed with a graceful performance that included beautiful extensions and spins.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026
Judges score the flips and spins, including pretzel-like shapes with skis splayed or crossed, before the skiers pull up at the last split second and slam skis-first into the landing area, kicking up a spray of snow.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
This is just about the most visually splendid of the many Hindi spins on Wuthering Heights.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Many will put special spins on traditional Lunar New Year dishes for the Year of the Fire Horse, which starts Tuesday.
—Terry Tang, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
Each participant jumps from a massive ramp (over 164 feet) and attempts to do a number a flips and spins before trying to stick the landing.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
In this model, a problem is represented as a collection of tiny magnets called spins that can point either up or down.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Feb. 2026
The facility would also, however, be able to separately send two protons colliding with precisely aligned spins—something that, even today, no other experiment has yet matched.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
The dining space spills into the lounge, where stylish skiers in designer suits and fur hats gather for a light lunch by the modern fireplaces as a DJ spins into the afternoon.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
The rippled, frill-like edges are seen on the lateral and medial side panels of the shoe across three neutral earth tone spins on the 204L in Sea Salt/Linen (style code U204L2SZ), Lone Star Gray/Sea Salt (style code U204L5AV) and Reflection/Truffle Salt (style code U204L6A6).
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
They are carefully balanced so that the rotor spins smoothly without wobbling.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Taken together, these features strongly suggest the object was part of a bow drill — a device that spins a shaft using a bow and string to create rapid back-and-forth rotation.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Let her courage linger while the sports calendar spins uncontrollably.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Angular momentum, which describes how much rotational motion an object has, depends on both how fast the object spins and how its mass is distributed.
—Amy Pope, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
That’s when Hughes stops abruptly, spins away from the challenger while still solidly in possession of the puck and heads back toward the blue line to find either open ice or a teammate who is in position to shoot.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026
Cobb spins Texan tales that center on women’s complexities.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
BaubleBar debuted new trinkets and accessories inspired by the characters; Brooks Brothers launched a capsule collection with Snoopy dressed up in a bowtie, and more brands showcased unique spins on the beloved characters.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026
The 18-year-old wowed with a graceful performance that included beautiful extensions and spins.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026
Judges score the flips and spins, including pretzel-like shapes with skis splayed or crossed, before the skiers pull up at the last split second and slam skis-first into the landing area, kicking up a spray of snow.
—ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026
This is just about the most visually splendid of the many Hindi spins on Wuthering Heights.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Many will put special spins on traditional Lunar New Year dishes for the Year of the Fire Horse, which starts Tuesday.
—Terry Tang, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
Each participant jumps from a massive ramp (over 164 feet) and attempts to do a number a flips and spins before trying to stick the landing.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
In this model, a problem is represented as a collection of tiny magnets called spins that can point either up or down.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 8 Feb. 2026
The facility would also, however, be able to separately send two protons colliding with precisely aligned spins—something that, even today, no other experiment has yet matched.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spins
Verb
-
Atkin rotates uphill, alley oop, in the opposite direction to the natural flow of the pipe, and spins 540 degrees (one and a half rotations) before finishing with a mute grab.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Each tray rotates quickly as customers move through the store, many stopping at the bakery before continuing their grocery shopping.—
Vivian Richey,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In this image made from video and released by the University of Western Australia, a sleeper shark swims into the spotlight of a video camera in Antarctica in January 2025.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
While the Louisville area is home to dozens of establishments serving a similar item, George said his version swims to the top in part because of large portion sizes.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Rai, who turns 31 on March 3, has eight wins since turning pro in 2012, including the Wyndham Championship in 2024.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
In recent years, the club has struggled out the gates before warming up as the weather turns.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No plays to memorize, no rotations to execute.—
D’Joumbarey A. Moreau,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
-
There were significant tactical market peaks in January or February in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2025, all of them involving momentum reversals and forced rotations as an aggravating factor.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Both offer public fishing excursions and private charters, cruising near the shore or heading out to the open ocean for deep-sea fishing.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Shimko documented the excursions through videos, from his own solo paddles to the group trips to Catalina.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His latest work, which is set, and shot, in a remote Turkish mountain village, revolves on a land dispute rooted in the conflict over rights for Turkey’s Kurdish minority.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The vases also reflect his perspective that design should slow down and allow consumers to hold onto items for longer than the fashion cycle typically revolves today.—
Sarah Jones,
Footwear News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Shauna Martel, a teaching assistant at the Osher Map Library twirls a massive globe around and points to Australia.—
Jackie Northam,
NPR,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
While older torque vectoring systems use the brakes to balance power between wheels, Audi’s setup here is active, using an electric motor actuator to make huge power deltas between the left and right wheels if necessary.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spins. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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