spun

past tense of spin
1
2
as in swam
to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around my head spun as I contemplated all the possible problems this restructuring could cause

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in twirled
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

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 spun With the Dolphins down 23-20, Washington bobbled the punt return, ran to the right then spun back left en route to a 74-yard punt return touchdown. Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025 The room seemed to flicker as an aerial dancer on Virgin Voyages’ newest ship spun in circles against bright lights. Nathan Diller, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 The public spun a civilian going rogue as admirable, and fetishized this dangerous mindset as a corrective force in today's political landscape. Alex Rosado, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025 O’Connell’s offense spun its wheels at times with Kirk Cousins at quarterback and even last year with Sam Darnold. Alec Lewis, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025 Tales are spun and then immediately tied back up into knots, and its gothic drama provides a fresh new place for Johnson to play in his preferred genre. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025 Meer took the snap, rolled to his right and spun away from the pressure. David Delgado, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025 Expecting dull days and strict rules, the boy instead stumbles into a world of delightful chaos and imagination – where outrageous stories are spun, and a world of wonder, memory, and mischief unfolds. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025 For much of the rest of the season, though, Esmeralda doesn’t really fit, as if she’s spun in from another offshoot entirely. Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spun
Verb
  • But Toronto has rotated through six relievers at the back of the relief group in the last three weeks.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The band stretched and stretched — and then suddenly, for no apparent reason, the wheel rotated with a jerk.
    Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Not wanting to run immediately after the season, Jenkins instead swam to get in his cardio work.
    Dan Hayes, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The Herald also found a pile of wet clothes, two children’s backpacks and food at the end of a street in Tavernier where the ocean meets the shore, suggesting the group swam to land and changed into dry clothing.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chicago Cubs rookie Cade Horton twirled another gem on Tuesday night – this time, at the expense of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Two go-go dancers twirled on a bar behind them.
    Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • For her take on enduring Grease style, Bieber revolved her going-out look around a boxy moto jacket—one of her signature wardrobe staples.
    Christian Allaire, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2025
  • At first, the drone business revolved mainly around film crews and hobbyists.
    Adam Sarhan, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • After a Joey Estes fastball came near his head, Robles whirled around and chucked his bat at the pitcher.
    Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Between events, Diamandis whirled around, making and cementing connections.
    Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • After the Blue Jays swung a trade to bring in Shane Bieber at this season's deadline, Edward Eng of FanSided's Jays Journal predicted the team would turn to him as a long-term replacement while letting Max Scherzer walk this winter.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Last year the park swung open the doors to equally ingenious fairytale rides themed to the Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan cartoons.
    Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The prototype delivered 13 per cent conversion efficiency, which, in simple terms, meant that with the prototype, for every 100 units of heat energy that went into the device, about 13 units were turned into electricity.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025
  • To cope, Chinese companies have turned more to grouping large numbers of less efficient, often homegrown, chips together to achieve similar computing capabilities.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Gurich grabbed a hold of Thimmhardy’s left wrist with his left hand and twisted her wrist behind her back before grabbing the woman’s shirt with his right hand and continued pushing her with her wrist in a control hold, according to the complaint.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The sisal ropes twisted across the legs add a touch of both functionality and beauty to the timeless.
    Elissa Suh, Architectural Digest, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spun. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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