Verbs for Movement in Place · Verbs: Movement

to incline or lean in a particular direction

"Tilt your head slightly to the right."

"You need to tilt the screen slightly to the left if you want to see the image clearly."

to position or direct something in a way that deviates from a straight line or plane

"Angle the mirror for light."

"Please angle the camera slightly to the left to capture the entire landscape in the photograph."

to incline or slant in a particular direction

"The hill slopes gently down."

"The ski resort is famous for its challenging black diamond runs that slope steeply down the mountainside."

to incline or tilt at an angle

"He cocks his head sideways."

"The curious dog would often cock its head to the side when it heard an unfamiliar sound, trying to understand it."

to deviate abruptly or shift unexpectedly from the current course or position

"The car skews left."

"Unexpectedly strong winds caused the weather balloon to skew off its intended course and drift towards the ocean."

(of a boat or ship) to tilt to one side

"The boat cants slightly now."

"As a large wave approached, the small fishing boat began to cant precariously to the port side."

to spin or rotate quickly with a graceful motion

"The dancer twirled across the stage."

"The ballet dancer began to twirl gracefully across the stage while the orchestra played a beautiful piece of music."

to pivot or rotate around a fixed point

"The chair swivels in all directions."

"She swiveled her chair around to face her computer screen and continued typing her report without saying a word."

to flip or reverse the position or arrangement of something

"Invert the bottle to empty it."

"To empty the bottle completely you need to invert it and let the last drops fall out."

to undergo a change in position where an object becomes turned or set on end

"The wave upends the small boat."

"The strong wind upended the small boat and the sailors fell into the cold water."

to rotate or flip something in an upward direction

"Upturn the box carefully."

"He decided to upturn the old chest to see if there were any hidden compartments or valuable items inside."

to rotate around a central point or axis

"Pivot on your foot to turn."

"The dancer had to pivot on one foot gracefully while extending the other leg behind her."

to move or proceed in a direction that is not straight or perpendicular

"The path slants uphill."

"The afternoon sun began to slant through the dusty attic window, illuminating the forgotten treasures within."

to slope, lean, or be positioned at a slant or incline

"The road does incline."

"The steep mountain path will incline sharply towards the summit."

to move in a circular direction around a fixed line or point

"Turn the wheel around."

"Remember to turn the lights off when you leave the room to save energy and reduce your electricity bill."

to turn around over and over very fast

"The dancer will spin gracefully."

"The ice skater began to spin faster and faster until she became a blur of color on the frozen rink."

to rotate or move in a circular or revolving manner

"The dancer reels around fast."

"After spinning around multiple times, the exhausted gymnast began to reel and had to steady herself before continuing her routine."

to move in a direction by turning over and over or from one side to another repeatedly

"Roll the dough into a ball."

"The ball rolled down the steep hill and disappeared into the bushes at the bottom of the slope."

to move on the ground while turning someone or something in rolling motions

"The ball rolls around the floor."

"The marbles rolled around on the floor when the child accidentally knocked over the entire glass jar."

to turn over quickly with a sudden move

"Flip the pancake when it bubbles."

"You need to flip the pancakes when the bubbles start to appear on the top surface."

to flip or rotate an object so that a different side is facing up

"Turn over the page carefully."

"Please turn over your exam papers and begin writing when you hear the signal from the proctor."