swing around

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle around

Meanings

1

Pivot quickly in a wide arc

Circleuncommon

Why “around”? Something turns around a centre to face a new direction.

He swung around to face his accuser.
He pivoted quickly in a wide arc to face his accuser.
The crane swung around toward the truck.
The crane pivoted in a wide arc toward the truck.

Don't confuse with

swing aroundswing out

Swing around means pivot quickly in a wide arc. Swing out means move or open by turning on a hinge or pivot.

Test yourself

He swung around to face his accuser. What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

Practice “swing around” in Sink In

Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.