recirculate

verb

re·​cir·​cu·​late (ˌ)rē-ˈsər-kyə-ˌlāt 

recirculated; recirculating; recirculates

transitive + intransitive

1

: to circulate or cause to circulate again

According to the organization, between two and four times more money recirculates in the local community when people shop at small businesses.

—Christina Hepner

The system will recirculate 99 percent of the water that enters the tanks …

—Nick McCrea

2

: to circulate continuously

Along a slope, a peaceful water feature surrounded by rocks offers the tranquil sounds of water recirculating between two ponds.

—Kelli Adanick

He uses an American Hydroponics system that recirculates water and nutrients through the plants' root systems, allowing them to grow without soil.

—Alana Melanson

Examples of recirculate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of the same comments were used as part of an undated article published on Future of Personal Health (a website produced by content marketing agency Caybon via its Mediaplanet group), which have been recirculating as new. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026

Newer facilities rely on closed-loop cooling systems that recirculate cooling liquids instead of evaporating water. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Jan. 2026

Old images recirculate Old videos and images from past events recirculated, purporting to show reactions to Maduro's capture and strikes in Caracas. —Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026

Its twin-skin airflow recirculates heat in a way to accelerate second burn, which eliminates smoke. —Simon Heptinstall december 31, New Atlas, 31 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for recirculate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate