plural pivots
1
: a shaft or pin on which something turns
2
a
: a person, thing, or factor having a major or central role, function, or effect
b
: a key player or position
specifically
: an offensive position of a basketball player standing usually with back to the basket to relay passes, shoot, or provide a screen for teammates
3
: the action of pivoting
especially
: the action in basketball of stepping with one foot while keeping the other foot at its point of contact with the floor
4
: a usually marked change
The idea of allowing a [marijuana] dispensary in the city is a pivot from the stance previously held by the council, which voted in early 2018 to ban sales in the city.—
Katie Sobko
Katie Sobko
especially
: an adjustment or modification made (as to a product, service, or strategy) in order to adapt or improve
A global pandemic strikes a business. The adaptable owner assesses the situation, predicts the future, and starts their pivot. —Jodie Cook
Jodie Cook The company even redesigned its logo to look more like an electrical plug to emphasize its pivot to battery-powered vehicles. —Andrew J. Hawkins
Andrew J. Hawkins The debate around the use of tools to track employee productivity has grown since the pivot to remote work in 2020. —Owen Hughes
Owen Hughes The pivot to virtual learning impacted income and occupancy rates of hotels at colleges … —Melissa Angell
Melissa Angell
pivoted; pivoting; pivots
1
: to turn on or as if on a pivot
a TV stand that pivots
She pivoted on her heel and stalked out of the room.
(figurative) The plot pivots on the discovery that Emily, who had for years been presumed dead, is found alive.—Debi Enker and Melinda Houston
Debi Enker and Melinda Houston2
: to adapt or improve by adjusting or modifying something (such as a product, service, or strategy)
In my first product business, I didn't know when to pivot and lost everything as a result. When your output (money) exceeds your input, or you can't afford to pay yourself, it's time to pivot.—India Gary-Martin
India Gary-MartinRestauranteur Jordan Rulloda has been grinding through this pandemic. … Rulloda says he and his small team have pivoted the best they can.—Lyndsay Morrison
Lyndsay MorrisonThe city famed for steel mills that powered America's industrial rise has steadily pivoted toward technology and health care …—Jonathan Lemire et al.
Jonathan Lemire et al.1
: to provide with, mount on, or attach by a pivot
a pivoted mechanism
2
: to cause to pivot
pivoted the camera
3
: to adapt or improve by adjusting or modifying (something, such as a product, service, or strategy)
Pharmacies have pivoted their businesses to meet the demands of mass vaccination services …—Nick Thayer
Nick Thayer… many organizations have pivoted their operations by taking services online to adapt to current conditions and strengthen business resiliency.—Desmond Nair
Desmond Nair… sales departments have pivoted the way they're restaffing and handling sales meetings—rather than putting 100 workers back out in the field, they're deploying their teams in strategic ways and outsourcing sales until they hire again.—Zeenath Kuraisha
Zeenath Kuraisha
Did you know?
Pivot is a French borrowing that slowly evolved grammatically in the English language. It began as a noun in the 14th century designating a shaft or pin on which something turns ("The chair turns on a pivot"). Later it was applied to any central person or thing around which action revolves. The noun then came to denote the action of turning about, oscillating, or balancing on or as if on a point ("the pivot of the golfer's body"; "a pivot in advertising strategy"). Adjectival use followed, always functioning as a synonym of the derivative pivotal describing things that are the pivot, that are vitally important or critical ("a pivot decision"). The word evolved yet again in the 19th century to become a verb indicating the act of turning, literally and figuratively, about a point ("The player pivoted and passed the ball"; "The plot pivots on revenge"). In wider extended use, it can imply a change of direction ("The company pivoted towards marketing remote learning tools and resources").
Synonyms
Examples of pivot in a Sentence
Noun
an issue that is the real pivot of the controversy
Verb
The dancers pivoted on their toes and changed direction.
The door hinge pivots around the pin.
The quarterback pivoted and threw the ball to the running back.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Her pivot to a harder-line stance on immigration this cycle reflects an implicit acknowledgment that Trump was closer to the median American voter on border security than any Democrat would likely admit in public.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2024
Tip: Clean dirt and debris around the pivot points before replacing the old strut with the new one.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
The ability to pivot quickly separates leaders from followers.
—Amy Packard Berry, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pivot 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Tesla has staked its financial future on a pivot to autonomous robotaxis, a risky pursuit facing serious regulatory hurdles.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
Her pivot to a harder-line stance on immigration this cycle reflects an implicit acknowledgment that Trump was closer to the median American voter on border security than any Democrat would likely admit in public.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Weinstein grabbed the film away from him and chopped nearly a full hour out, turning an ambitious retelling of a pivot point in the American West into a dull, hazy love story of no particular importance.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2024
Tip: Clean dirt and debris around the pivot points before replacing the old strut with the new one.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024
Verb
Officials are now pivoting to other parts of the river ahead of a rainy season that threatens to wash trash, and people, out to the ocean.
—Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
The ability to pivot quickly separates leaders from followers.
—Amy Packard Berry, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pivot
Dictionary Entries Near pivot
Cite this Entry
“Pivot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pivot. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pivot
1 of 2 noun
piv·ot
ˈpiv-ət 
1
: a shaft or pin on which something turns
2
: something on which something else turns or depends : a central member, part, or point
pivot
2 of 2 verb1
: to turn on or as if on a pivot
the guns are mounted in such a way as to pivot easily
the future pivots on what is done today
2
: to provide with, mount on, or attach by a pivot
Medical Definition
pivot
noun
piv·ot
ˈpiv-ət
: a usually metallic pin holding an artificial crown to the root of a tooth
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share