: 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
Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
The rest of The Daily Show news team will rotate hosting duties Tuesday through Thursday.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024
With just a simple flipping motion, the tree base rotates into an upright position, eliminating the need for heavy lifting.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
But in general, here are some tips from the Better Sleep Council, a sleep-research organization, for caring for your mattress:
Periodically rotate and flip your mattress, unless your mattress's care instructions say otherwise.
—Renee Cherry, SELF, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rotate 
Verb
The rest of the week, the show has rotated between Jordan Klepper, Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta and Dulcé Sloan as hosts, holding their own in interviews with politicians and experts.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
The rest of The Daily Show news team will rotate hosting duties Tuesday through Thursday.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2024
With just a simple flipping motion, the tree base rotates into an upright position, eliminating the need for heavy lifting.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
But in general, here are some tips from the Better Sleep Council, a sleep-research organization, for caring for your mattress:
Periodically rotate and flip your mattress, unless your mattress's care instructions say otherwise.
—Renee Cherry, SELF, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rotate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rotate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rotate
Cite this Entry
“Rotate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rotate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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