as in rotations
a rapid turning about on an axis or central point
the ballerina's perfectly executed pirouette
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as in rotates
to move in circles around an axis or center
the ballerina pirouetted across the stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of pirouettes
Brian Mann, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
The triad moves across the grey room in a dizzying chain of matching pirouettes, drawing a slow circle one after another as arpeggiating harp fills the bare space with sound.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The extraordinary footage, which Unitree Robotics shared on the its social media channels depicts the humanoid bot carrying out a series of complex movements, including pirouettes, dance routines, as well as incredible kickboxing skills.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Before plying precious stones and metals, pirouettes and pointes were the means of expression for the Belgian.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
To the west, the London Eye pirouettes above the skyline—to the east, Shakespeare’s Globe serves legendary sonnets.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Étoile, the Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino vehicle canceled after one season on Amazon Prime, is awash in elegant shots of ballerina pirouettes and the opulent interior of the Opéra Garnier in Paris — which served as the inspiration for the novel The Phantom of the Opera.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
The history of Olympic figure skating is shaped almost as much by epic falls as by soaring pirouettes.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 7 Feb. 2026
The triad moves across the grey room in a dizzying chain of matching pirouettes, drawing a slow circle one after another as arpeggiating harp fills the bare space with sound.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The extraordinary footage, which Unitree Robotics shared on the its social media channels depicts the humanoid bot carrying out a series of complex movements, including pirouettes, dance routines, as well as incredible kickboxing skills.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
Before plying precious stones and metals, pirouettes and pointes were the means of expression for the Belgian.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2025
To the west, the London Eye pirouettes above the skyline—to the east, Shakespeare’s Globe serves legendary sonnets.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Étoile, the Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino vehicle canceled after one season on Amazon Prime, is awash in elegant shots of ballerina pirouettes and the opulent interior of the Opéra Garnier in Paris — which served as the inspiration for the novel The Phantom of the Opera.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pirouettes
Noun
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Chloe Kim could attempt a jump called a 1260, which is 3 and a half rotations or 1260 degrees.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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Judges evaluate how well the element is performed, looking for intricate entrances before the take-off, a clean landing on one foot, height, distance and fully completed rotations while the skater is in the air.—
Robert Samuels,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Once installed, every pull of the chain rotates a circular drum displaying the numbers zero through three.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
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Towson University rotates nearly 100 nursing students to help.—
Janay Reece,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To be frank, Jarrett’s rush pattern may have short-circuited the Next Gen Stats GPS system with more twists, twirls and figure-eights than an Olympic figure skating routine.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Centennial Lakes Park in suburban Edina is the perfect urban oasis to try out twirls or pick up some speed.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Let her courage linger while the sports calendar spins uncontrollably.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Clean lines, an intriguing silhouette, and bold wheels give it real presence (right down to taillights that nod to the Nissan Z).—
Cyril Soliman,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
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Yet after gesturing toward a promising thriller setup, the film soon begins to spin its wheels — doing little to complicate or tighten the melodrama, while only superficially probing its two principal characters as their romance is inevitably reignited.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Writer-director Annemarie Jacir takes on her largest-scale production to date with Palestine 36, a panoramic drama that interweaves period re-creations with evocative archival footage and revolves among characters both fictional and historical.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The tension in a luge sled allows athletes to manipulate it just so, digging in the runners and steering with sharp precision around curves.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The downhill was already one of the signature events of Alpine skiing, a can’t-look-away showcase as women carve down mountains, around curves and over jumps, pushing 80 mph.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Trays of burgers, fries and lobster rolls circled the room as guests such as Martha Stewart, Suki Waterhouse, Kelsea Ballerini, Leslie Bibb, Supriya Ganesh and Ava Phillippe mingled throughout the restaurant.—
Leigh Nordstrom,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
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The state has refused to hand over voter rolls that the Justice Department tried to grab as a condition of a pullout.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pirouettes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pirouettes. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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