Verbs for Non-Human Movement

to move from a lower to a higher position

The hot air balloon rose gracefully into the sky.

to go higher while flying

The eagle soared high above the cliffs, scanning the landscape for prey.

a tall and often narrow building that stands alone or is part of a castle, church, or other larger buildings

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the world.

(of a spacecraft or aircraft) to leave the ground, particularly vertically

The rocket lifted off with a thunderous roar, marking the beginning of the historic mission.

to turn or move around a center

The Earth rotates on its axis, causing day and night to occur.

the path an object in the space follows to move around a planet, star, etc.

The satellite was placed into a stable orbit to continuously monitor weather patterns from space.

to turn or move around an axis or center

The Earth revolves around the sun, completing one orbit every 365.25 days.

to move in a twisting or whirling motion, creating a pattern of circular or spiral motion

The leaves swirl in the wind during the autumn months.

to rotate or spin around an axis or center point

The ceiling fan blades go around to circulate air in the room.

to move or extend in a continuous and widening circular pattern

The smoke has spiraled upward from the chimney into the night sky.

to turn or spin rapidly in a twisting motion

The autumn leaves whirled in a beautiful dance as they descended from the trees.

to turn or move in a spiral motion

The tornado touched down, causing trees to sway and gyrate violently in its powerful winds.

to bounce back after hitting a surface

The ball hit the ground and rebounded to a great height.

to spring back from an impact by bouncing off a surface at an angle

The bullet ricocheted off the metal wall, narrowly missing the target.

to move rapidly back and forth or up and down with small movements

The phone vibrated on the table, indicating an incoming call or message.

to move down on something or someone with a sudden, swift action, typically with the intention of seizing or capturing

The bird swooped down from the sky and pounced on the unsuspecting rodent.

to move with a rapid up-and-down motion

Right now, the laundry on the clothesline is flapping in the gentle breeze.

to move swiftly through the air, generating a whistling or buzzing sound

The arrow whizzed through the air, producing a sharp whistling sound as it reached its target.

to exhale forcefully through the mouth

She blew on her cup of hot tea to cool it down before taking a sip.

the outer part or top layer of something that you can touch or see

He used a soft cloth to clean the dusty surface of the bookshelf.

(of a train) to accidentally go off the tracks

The heavy rain and slippery tracks led to a tragic incident as the express train derailed.

to move smoothly and quietly, like a snake

The snake silently slithered through the grass.

to descend quickly and suddenly, often used to describe the action of birds or aircraft

The eagle swooped down to catch the rabbit in the field.