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
Relevance
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 pinwheel
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
Observations of pinwheeling galaxies suggested that scaffolds of invisible matter held their stars together, while a repulsive form of energy drove galaxies apart.
—Quanta Magazine, 28 Jan. 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
Dallas News, 20 Sep. 2020
Observations of pinwheeling galaxies suggested that scaffolds of invisible matter held their stars together, while a repulsive form of energy drove galaxies apart.
—Quanta Magazine, 28 Jan. 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
-
For more formal occasions, she’s also rotated in white sneakers worn with tailored linen separates — a recurring combination that blends practicality with polish.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
7 June 2025
-
In addition to the two enormous submarine sets, there had never been a need to build a gimbal big and strong enough to support, rotate, and move a set of this size, nor a water tank large enough to house the gimbal and set.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
In a sport that revolves so much around India, Australia and England, it’s been a breath of fresh air that South Africa made a barnstorming run to the final.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
-
Dermoid cysts are more likely to develop in younger women, and typically don’t revolve spontaneously.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
The break-up between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is the battle that everyone saw coming, spinning into a tweetstorm of insults, unwanted revelations and surprising outbursts.—
Chris Westfall,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Traditional pulsars are spinning neutron stars that emit beams of radiation, and the new study suggests a black hole could briefly mimic this behavior while consuming a neutron star.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Cars speed past honking their horns, some twirling PSG flags and scarves from their windows, while youngsters in small groups nimbly dart and weave their way through the crowds on bicycles.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
-
Movies have long cherished the contrast between a ballerina’s delicacy and lithe visuals with the gritty determination required to leap, dance and twirl in the highly unnatural way that is dancing on your toes.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pinwheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinwheel. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share