swivels

verb

present tense third-person singular of swivel
as in rotates
to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis the cat swiveled one ear to listen to a sound outside swiveled around in his office chair

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 swivels Alison swivels her head towards Kyle. — 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swivels
  1. rotates
  2. twirls
  3. turns
  4. swings
  5. spins
  6. twists
  7. pivots
Verb
  • 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, New Atlas, 17 July 2026
  • As the laser passes through the crystal, its polarization rotates.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
Definition of rotates
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
  • 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
  • Carried by a supreme cast including Demet Özdemir, Kaan Yildirim, İlhan Şen, and Sarp Bozkurt, the film swings between belief, hope, and dissolution.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 July 2026
  • When Roman LeVine, 7, eagerly swings at a water balloon, his mom Nicole LeVine pauses to take a video.
    — Lynda Lin Grigsby, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of swings
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
  • With the franchise’s trademark blend of extreme gore and dark humor, the Evil Dead backstory centers on the ancient Book of the Dead that unleashes supernatural evil forces and twists victims into sadistic, shape-shifting, near-invincible monsters.
    — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 21 July 2026
  • 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
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

Browse Nearby Words

swiveling
swivels
swivet
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Cite this Entry

“Swivels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swivels. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on swivels

Nglish: Translation of swivels for Spanish Speakers

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