: 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
Synonyms
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
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In this image made from video provided by National Weather Service Portland office, a powerful storm also called a 'bomb cyclone' rotates off the U.S. West Coast on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.
—CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
The outing gets underway April 4 in San Diego, with rotating support from Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury’s Dark Sky Burial, plus a rotating lineup of Weedeater, Titan to Tachyons and the Hard-Ons with Poison Idea’s Jerry A.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Nov. 2024
At this point, resisting the urge to rotate, the superfluid suddenly spawns a single quantum vortex — a whorl of atoms surrounding a column of nothingness that extends to the bottom of the bucket.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rotate 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Verb
To fix this, leaders should hold regular office hours with CEOs and directors, rotating participants and focusing on empowerment, not complaints.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In this image made from video provided by National Weather Service Portland office, a powerful storm also called a 'bomb cyclone' rotates off the U.S. West Coast on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.
—CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
The outing gets underway April 4 in San Diego, with rotating support from Napalm Death bassist Shane Embury’s Dark Sky Burial, plus a rotating lineup of Weedeater, Titan to Tachyons and the Hard-Ons with Poison Idea’s Jerry A.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Nov. 2024
At this point, resisting the urge to rotate, the superfluid suddenly spawns a single quantum vortex — a whorl of atoms surrounding a column of nothingness that extends to the bottom of the bucket.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rotate
Dictionary Entries Near rotate
Cite this Entry
“Rotate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotate. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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