as in to rotate
to move in circles around an axis or center
the kayaker had got sucked into the whirlpool, and his kayak was pinwheeling helplessly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pinwheel
Forecasters warned of the arrival Thursday into Friday of a second intensifying low pressure area, which will pinwheel around the first bomb cyclone in an atmospheric interaction known as the Fujiwara Effect.
—
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
Some of the outer rain bands and a few storms from Beta will pinwheel into the area from the east and southeast.
—Dallas News, 20 Sep. 2020
The man in the white vest pinwheeled his arms, ushering volunteers through the pick-up line outside the Salvation Army Community Center on Fourth Street with military precision.
—Lizzie Johnson, SFChronicle.com, 25 Dec. 2019
According to the space agency, IC 2051 is a spiral galaxy, noticeable in its whirling, pinwheeling arms and a bar of stars cutting through its center.
—Fox News, 23 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for pinwheel
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024
Some of the outer rain bands and a few storms from Beta will pinwheel into the area from the east and southeast.
—Dallas News, 20 Sep. 2020
The man in the white vest pinwheeled his arms, ushering volunteers through the pick-up line outside the Salvation Army Community Center on Fourth Street with military precision.
—Lizzie Johnson, SFChronicle.com, 25 Dec. 2019
According to the space agency, IC 2051 is a spiral galaxy, noticeable in its whirling, pinwheeling arms and a bar of stars cutting through its center.
—Fox News, 23 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for pinwheel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pinwheel
Verb
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Students rotate between roles from time to time and clean the whole campus as a team every single day.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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These jets can begin to fan out as the nucleus of the comet rotates.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The county, where per-capita personal income levels are nearly 40% higher than the national median, is also seen as a pioneer for its financing model, which created a revolving loan fund to replace private sources of equity and keep the units owned by the public.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
20 Oct. 2025
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Beyond supernatural encounters, the Beaux-Arts hotel is also a glittering grande dame of the French Quarter, with a revolving carousel bar, pristine marble floors, and a wooden grandfather clock that’s chimed in the lobby since 1909.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Still, markets will be closely watching the details of the ultimate agreement, after nearly a year of head-spinning changes to trade and tariff policies between the US and China.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
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The event will feature charrería performances featuring rope tricks by charro Christian Navarrete; a Mexican tin art workshop; spinning and weaving demonstrations; and hands-on activities and games for children.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The pair twirled together onstage before Karagach, 32, stepped in to finish the contemporary routine.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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As the routine twirled to a close, Olivia ran back, embracing her older brother to thunderous applause.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinwheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinwheel. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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