to wheel around
3
4.2
- phrasal verb
- /wiːl əˈraʊnd/
:
dar la vuelta
- When she heard a loud noise, she quickly wheeled around to see what had happened.
- wheeled around a corner
- wheeled around suddenly
- wheeled around to face
Examples
-
At the outskirts of the village, she stopped suddenly and wheeled around.
Fiction book (1991) -
Suddenly, Miranda wheeled around, darted over to the bench, put down the wine, and picked up a candle.
Fiction book (1990) -
Dunn wheels around on his right foot.
-
And George wheeled around real quick and caught it right in the jaw.
-
Finally aware of Diana, she wheeled around to look.
Fiction book (1996) -
The horse wheeled around in a circle, laughing, and then left.
Fiction book (1993) -
In a frenzy, they wheel around, rear up, refusing to go on.
Fiction book (1990) -
My friend wheels around and breaks into a run, disappearing into a narrow street a block away.
Fiction book (1996) -
Suddenly afraid for Jack, Sally wheels around and stumbles out into the hall and up the rickety stairs.
Fiction book (1993) -
With astonishing speed and skill, the Rohirrim check their steeds, wheel around, and charge the three.
Fiction book (2002)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Move something so it faces a different direction or side
227
1.0
To make something turn around quickly
144
3.0
To turn around a central point, like a wheel or planet
120
2.7
To move in a twisting or circular way
88
3.0
Move around something following a curved path
78
2.0
Move in a circle around a point, like a planet around the Sun
61
2.8
To turn suddenly to avoid hitting something
41
3.2
To make something move in a circle around a central point
38
2.1
To turn your body quickly in a circle many times
27
4.7
To turn around on a point to face a different way
24
4.1
To turn quickly to face a different direction
21
2.3
Move in a round path around someone or something
17
2.6
To turn quickly in a circle or twist
15
2.7
A quick spin or turn
12
4.2
To turn around a fixed point
10
3.6
Move in a circle around a central object, like planets around the Sun
10
3.2
Turn quickly to face the opposite direction
9
3.7
To move quickly in a circle, often through the air
6
4.3
To spin quickly in circles and feel dizzy
3
7.2
To turn quickly in a very small space, like a car
1
1.4
Move your body so you face the opposite direction
Move around something or someone in a circle
Antonyms
How Fast
38
2.1
9
3.7
3
4.2
12
4.2
384
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to turn around quickly' is directly derivable from combining 'wheel' (to rotate or swivel) with 'around' (to turn so as to face the opposite direction). This motion verb + particle composition follows standard compositional patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Wheel around comes from the image of a wheel turning around its center, like a chair or cart that suddenly spins to face a new direction, and that's why the phrase means 'to turn quickly' or 'change direction suddenly'.