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
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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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For Love in the Time of Cholera, 1989, for instance, Pau uses early Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology to frame clips from Zuni’s 1988 October/Decameron stage performance, which then float, rotate, and cascade across the screen.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The collection includes thousands of pieces on rotating exhibit.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Seksan Mongkhonkhamsao/Getty Images Things aren't particularly easy for borrowers right now, and that's especially true for those carrying a revolving balance month to month.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Leonard Cohen had a house there, one of 100 in the world that revolved on a motor.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Similar to how spiders spin webs on Earth, such robots could effectively 3D-print structures in space.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
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My biggest complaint is that while the main narrative does wrap up tidily, the story also spins forward in a way that demands a sequel (which Spufford is already working on).—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Aaron Gordon sat at his locker twirling the tape from his finger, unable to wrap his head around a stunning 119-114 defeat.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
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But as soon as one flagellar motor reverses direction and starts rotating clockwise, the bundle falls apart; the reverse-twirling filament unravels the braid and puts the cell’s flagellar motors at cross-purposes, kicking the cell around.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pinwheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pinwheel. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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