somersault
noun
som·er·sault
| \ ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt
\
\
variants:
or less commonly summersault
Definition of somersault
: a movement (as in gymnastics) in which a person turns forward or backward in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head
also
: a falling or tumbling head over heels
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Examples of somersault in a Sentence
The gymnast turned a somersault.
Recent Examples on the Web
Near the end of her second somersault, Biles opens her tuck a little. — Adam Rogers, WIRED, "The Biomechanical Perfection of Simone Biles in Flight," 13 Aug. 2019 Pineda celebrated the score with a series of somersaults and a short dance routine. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, "Galaxy coach isn’t too broken-hearted over Leagues Cup loss to Cruz Azul," 20 Aug. 2019 Competing in Kansas City, Mo., 22-year-old Biles became the first gymnast ever to attempt a double-twisting, double somersault dismount from the balance beam, according to Team USA. — Fox News, "Simone Biles makes history with balance beam dismount at US women's gymnastics championship," 12 Aug. 2019 While competing at the 2019 US Gymnastics Championships in Kansas City, Missouri on Friday, the 22-year-old became the first gymnast to ever attempt and land a double-twisting, double somersault dismount off the balance beam. — Paula Rogo, Essence, "Simone Biles Is Now The First Gymnast To Ever Land A Double-Double Dismount," 11 Aug. 2019 The 22-year-old just became the first gymnast to ever attempt and land a double-twisting, double somersault dismount, according to Team USA. — Leah Asmelash And Nadeem Muaddi, CNN, "Simone Biles just became the first gymnast to land a double-double dismount, and it's incredible," 10 Aug. 2019 By snapping forward, Tribot can do a forward somersault; add in some motions with the legs to control things, and this can be turned into a forward leap that allows the robot to clear gaps up to four times its body size. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Tiny robot leaps around carrying its own battery, electronics," 10 July 2019 While speaking to school groups or workshops, Mr. Colgrass would sometimes shed most of his clothes, stand on his head, do somersaults and balance on his forearms to demonstrate the connection of the body to rhythm and dance. — Matt Schudel, Washington Post, "Michael Colgrass, composer who used humor and headstands to win listeners, dies at 87," 6 July 2019 Shank landed an excellent front 1 ½ somersault to secure the victory. — baltimoresun.com, "Aberdeen divers drop final meet," 25 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'somersault.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for somersault
somersault
noun
English Language Learners Definition of somersault
: a forward or backward movement of your body on the ground or in the air that is made by bringing your feet over your head
See the full definition for somersault in the English Language Learners Dictionary
somersault
noun
som·er·sault
| \ ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt\
Kids Definition of somersault
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a movement in which someone makes a complete turn by bringing the feet over the head
somersault
verb
somersaulted;
somersaulting
Kids Definition of somersault (Entry 2 of 2)
: to perform a movement in which a person makes a complete turn by bringing the feet over the head