circumambulate

verb

cir·cum·am·bu·late ˌsər-kəm-ˈam-byə-ˌlāt

circumambulated; circumambulating

Synonyms of circumambulate next

transitive verb

: to circle on foot especially ritualistically

circumambulation

ˌsər-kəm-ˌam-byə-ˈlā-shən

noun

Examples of circumambulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The stupas’ projecting platforms and pillars were decorated with narrative scenes so devotees circumambulating the stupas (always in a clockwise direction) could familiarize themselves with stories that illustrate Buddhist precepts. —

Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2023 An aerial view of Muslim pilgrims circumambulating the Grand Mosque in September 2017. —

Eva Dou, WSJ, 31 July 2018 Hajj pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, located in the center of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Aug. 22, 2017. —

Laignee Barron, Time, 7 Mar. 2018 The minimum of wall text is an invitation to circumambulate. —

A.j. Goldmann, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circumambulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.