: having the parts flat and spreading or radiating like the spokes of a wheel
rotate blue flowers
rotated; rotating
1
a
: to perform an act, function, or operation in turn
b
: to pass or alternate in a series
2
: to turn about an axis or a center : revolve
especially
: to move in such a way that all particles follow circles with a common angular velocity about a common axis
1
a
: to cause to turn or move about an axis or a center
b
: to cause (a plane region or line) to sweep out a volume or surface by moving around an axis so that each of its points remains at a constant distance from the axis
generate a torus by rotating a circle about an external line
2
: to cause to grow in rotation
rotate crops
3
: to cause to pass or act in a series : alternate
4
: to exchange (individuals or units) with others
Examples of rotate in a Sentence
Verb
As the gear rotates, it turns the other gears.
The Earth rotates on its axis.
The planets rotate around the sun.
The software allows you to rotate images.
Rotate the sheet of paper 90 degrees.
The staff rotates the weekend shift.
We rotate—she does the dishes one week; I do them the next.
You should rotate your car's tires once a year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Harter rotates between his three go-to flavors: Cherry, Strawberry and Mint — without the chocolate chips.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Players have rotated in and out and systems have changed, but still it’s been dreadful.
—Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
All In: Comedy About Love also completed its Broadway run at the Hudson Theater last week, bringing in $1.53 million for its final rotating cast featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hank Azaria, Annaleigh Ashford and Tim Meadows.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
The video in question surfaced on Reddit, and shows the console being rotated 180-degrees, the Joy-Cons snapping into place, and a screen attachment connecting to the bottom USB-C port.
—Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
Harter rotates between his three go-to flavors: Cherry, Strawberry and Mint — without the chocolate chips.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Players have rotated in and out and systems have changed, but still it’s been dreadful.
—Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
All In: Comedy About Love also completed its Broadway run at the Hudson Theater last week, bringing in $1.53 million for its final rotating cast featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hank Azaria, Annaleigh Ashford and Tim Meadows.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rotate
Cite this Entry
“Rotate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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