1
as in to limit
to set bounds or an upper limit for
circumscribed his enthusiasm so as not to make the losing side feel worse
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Recent Examples of circumscribe
But for now, the court by a 6-3 majority has circumscribed the ability of district courts to block a law or presidential action.
—
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 28 June 2025
The marketplace of ideas becomes skewed; the choices of buyers in that marketplace are circumscribed.
—James L. Gibson, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
Analysts predicted all sorts of potential Iranian retaliatory measures of various sizes and scales, but Iran ultimately opted for an intense but circumscribed missile attack on the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, resulting in no fatalities but more than 100 U.S. personnel with traumatic brain injuries.
—Uri Friedman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
Yet this project’s geography is circumscribed, its borders hedged.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumscribe
Niall Stanage, The Hill, 28 June 2025
The marketplace of ideas becomes skewed; the choices of buyers in that marketplace are circumscribed.
—James L. Gibson, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
Analysts predicted all sorts of potential Iranian retaliatory measures of various sizes and scales, but Iran ultimately opted for an intense but circumscribed missile attack on the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, resulting in no fatalities but more than 100 U.S. personnel with traumatic brain injuries.
—Uri Friedman, The Atlantic, 23 June 2025
Yet this project’s geography is circumscribed, its borders hedged.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for circumscribe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumscribe
Verb
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We, in collaboration with our partners, store and/or access information on a user's device, including but not limited to IP addresses, unique identifiers, and browsing data stored in cookies, in order to process personal data.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Federal Reserve has limited penny deliveries to banks and commercial customers, making pennies hard to come by in some parts of the country, Giant Eagle said.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Becky Lynch is ensuring that her reign as Women's Intercontinental Champion is defined by controversy and confidence.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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In Italy, a bill to introduce consent as the central element in defining rape was proposed in February last year and is under review.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Biden has been absent from the campaign trail since then, but Martin said that Biden had lent his name to some fundraising appeals, and that he has been restricted by treatments for cancer.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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The decision is part of a stricter policy approach of the Republican administration toward curbing migration and restricting refugee admissions.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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What was once a taboo activity, confined to the fringes of society, has been completely normalized.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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Journalists aren’t confined to one medium anymore.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Circumscribe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumscribe. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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