C1verb1K

Spin

UK /["/spɪn/","/spɪnz/","/spʌn/","/ˈspɪnɪŋ/"]/US /["/spɪn/","/spɪnz/","/spʌn/","/ˈspɪnɪŋ/"]/

Definition

to turn round and round quickly; to make something do this

In simple words: To turn around quickly.

Examples

The dancer can spin effortlessly on her toes.
During the game, he made the wheel spin quickly.
The politician tried to spin the story to make himself look better.
She used a spinning wheel to spin wool into yarn.
His head began to spin after hearing the shocking news.
They decided to spin the narrative from a positive perspective.
The car's tires spin when it loses traction on the wet road.
She likes to spin around in circles when she’s happy.

Usage notes

Use 'spin' in a physical context, like spinning an object. Don't use it metaphorically in very formal situations.

Grammar pattern

spin + object

Memory hint

Think of a spinning top — it spins around and around!

Collocations

fast
quickly
rapidly
begin to
start to
make somebody’s head spin
spin like a top
spin on its axis
fast
quickly
rapidly
begin to
start to
make somebody’s head spin
spin like a top
spin on its axis

Synonyms

twirl
rotate
turn
revolve
whirl

Antonyms

stop
halt

Common mistakes

Confused with 'spun' as a past tense too early.
Using 'spin' without an object in a sentence improperly.
Mixing up 'spin' with 'twirl' in contexts.