spinning

present participle of spin
1
2
as in swimming
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 twirling
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 spinning Beyond Fever’s head-spinning commercial success, the band’s debut album was the most popular LP to come from the online MySpace era of pop-punk and emo music. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025 Beaches all along the Eastern seaboard will be plagued by life-threatening rip currents and large swells for much of next week because of Humberto spinning offshore and future Imelda. Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 These seeds can be seen spinning to the ground in the spring season. Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025 Cardi will be spinning the block to double up in Atlanta, New York City and Los Angeles. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025 The college football season is only a month old and the coaching carousel has already started spinning — with UCLA, Virginia Tech and now Oklahoma State looking for new leaders. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 24 Sep. 2025 The back and forth between this trio always had our heads spinning. Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025 Whether spinning De La Soul and underground hip-hop or mixing AC/DC with Biggie Smalls, Ronson both reveled in the auditory stimulation with fellow vampires and slipped into the dangers of too many dark rooms. Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025 This is when some of the most popular ski areas around the country with early opening plans expect to start spinning their lifts. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spinning
Verb
  • Under the schedule requirements moving forward, each SEC team will play a 9-game conference schedule that will include 3 annual opponents and 6 rotating opponents.
    Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The rotating seals — similar to those found in boat drive shafts — maintain integrity under pressure while allowing full mechanical function.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In one of the film’s tautest sequences, they’re caught swimming in a neighbor’s pool by a caretaker (Damien Bonnard), and Sana must decide whether to pay off the man to keep his silence.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
  • The lengthy pre-copulation stage involved all three sharks motionless on the seafloor for nearly an hour, after which the female started swimming with one male shark biting onto each of her pectoral fins.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In sync with the dance theme and in a nod to the creative process, the presentation will recreate a dance competition, with models donning Moja Rowa pieces and number badges while twirling and gliding with headphones on — silent party mode.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
  • That includes Anya Singh as Aasmaan’s manager Sanya, Raghav Juyal as bestie Parvaiz, Manish Chaudhari as mustache-twirling studio executive Freddie Sodawallah, Manoj Pahwa as Aasmaan’s uncle Avtar, and Mona Singh and Vijayakant Kohli as his parents.
    Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Traditionally, Sean Payton’s teams deploy a revolving personnel carousel that can leave opposing defensive coordinators dizzy.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The agency would have to direct $10 million from the Main Street Housing Rehabilitation revolving loan fund to the program.
    Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Here, the tarantella is by turns gleeful and demonic — a frantic dance of the doomed, whirling through a mist of contemporary clangor.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
  • But then Freeland induced Logan O' Hoppe to hit a grounder to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, but Tovar's throw to second was low, forcing Ritter to make a difficult catch at the bag and make a whirling throw to first.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the old madrasas, chefs staged feasts that reimagined traditional dishes, turning eating itself into performance.
    Dada Jovanovic, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Speed is a major factor in turning crashes deadly, but Bryson noted that the road commission designs roundabouts so traffic moves at 15-25 mph within the circle.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The incenses were twisting in the air, the different smokes braiding themselves like hair in Coraline’s gloved fingers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
  • For families, the massive pool, complete with twisting water slides and splash pads, is a major draw.
    Christine Chitnis, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As Priestly emerged to take her place on the front row, speculation immediately began swirling through the Dolce & Gabbana’s Metropole venue.
    Luke Leitch, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Forecasters say Humberto could pull Imelda to the east; could pull Imelda apart; could form one even larger storm; or in the rarest of possibilities, could engage in the Fujiwhara Effect swirling around a spot similar to what Philippe and Rina did in 2023.
    Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spinning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spinning. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

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