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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
Varied scenes include a video of smokestacks in the unmistakable soft light of a Beijing winter, the artist puffing cigarettes as a Lazy Susan spins leisurely with dishes and a bottle of Nongfu Spring, a local mineral water brand; and a robot getting out of an elevator.
—Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
The key is to bring original thought and spins to familiar things while bringing brand-new stories to the table.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
To serve this seemingly insatiable market, Karman has developed a rotating compressor that spins at 30,000 revolutions per minute — nearly 10 times faster than traditional compressors — to move heat.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Cobb spins Texan tales that center on women’s complexities.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
The most spins completed in competition are 6 1/2.
—Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Don’t let Paffuto’s casual counter service mislead you; their inventive spins on Italian classics will astound and delight.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Feb. 2026
Most groups of particles will have a random mix of up and down spins, but the researchers found that a particular kind of particle that has been produced at the collider has often come in pairs with matching spin directions.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
From the bleachers of the Abe Stark Arena, our college friends cheered wildly as Phil, who was a novice, performed a few simple spins.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Less than two weeks later, on New Year’s Eve 2009, Pearce was practicing a double cork—two flips with multiple spins—on a pipe in Park City, Utah.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
There are spins, jumps into spins, jumps out of spins, fast steps, crossovers, rapid changes from inside to outside edge.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
One driver learned the hard way that even a freeway that's been plowed can still have icy, slick spots to cause out-of-control spins.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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
Varied scenes include a video of smokestacks in the unmistakable soft light of a Beijing winter, the artist puffing cigarettes as a Lazy Susan spins leisurely with dishes and a bottle of Nongfu Spring, a local mineral water brand; and a robot getting out of an elevator.
—Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
The key is to bring original thought and spins to familiar things while bringing brand-new stories to the table.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
To serve this seemingly insatiable market, Karman has developed a rotating compressor that spins at 30,000 revolutions per minute — nearly 10 times faster than traditional compressors — to move heat.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Cobb spins Texan tales that center on women’s complexities.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
Detecting the same alignment in the spins of lambda–antilambda pairs strongly suggests that the strange quarks inside them originated as a single entangled pair in the vacuum.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
The most spins completed in competition are 6 1/2.
—Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Don’t let Paffuto’s casual counter service mislead you; their inventive spins on Italian classics will astound and delight.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Feb. 2026
Most groups of particles will have a random mix of up and down spins, but the researchers found that a particular kind of particle that has been produced at the collider has often come in pairs with matching spin directions.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
From the bleachers of the Abe Stark Arena, our college friends cheered wildly as Phil, who was a novice, performed a few simple spins.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
Less than two weeks later, on New Year’s Eve 2009, Pearce was practicing a double cork—two flips with multiple spins—on a pipe in Park City, Utah.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
There are spins, jumps into spins, jumps out of spins, fast steps, crossovers, rapid changes from inside to outside edge.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 1 Feb. 2026
One driver learned the hard way that even a freeway that's been plowed can still have icy, slick spots to cause out-of-control spins.
—J.d. Miles, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spins
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
-
Towson University rotates nearly 100 nursing students to help.—
Janay Reece,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Steve Niese swims in Coney Island year-round and did describe the great benefits of cold water plunging in an article of a major newspaper.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Today, that turtle swims with three flippers in the new 4,000-gallon rehabilitation pool.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stafford, who turns 38 on Saturday, worked through a back issue that sidelined him for all of training camp and passed for a league-best 46 touchdowns and 4,707 yards.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Leavitt turns the tables on media outrage as FBI seizes Fulton election documents.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
-
For those who prefer not to paddle, operators such as Caicos Dream Tours provides boat excursions to the island.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
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Throughout the year, a roster of lively events and social programs brings out members of the community for golf tournaments, tennis clinics, summer concerts, wine tastings, excursions, and more.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
4 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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Spins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spins. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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