Definition of circulatenext
1
as in to disseminate
to cause to be known over a considerable area or by many people circulate the plans for the new stadium around town to get people's reaction

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2
3
as in to spread
to become known the prince denies the story about an extramarital affair that's been circulating in the tabloids

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of circulate Authorities in Middle Tennessee concluded an investigation and won't pursue charges after a video circulating online showed the actor Alan Ritchson in an alleged physical altercation with a man in a residential neighborhood over the weekend. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026 The clip circulated widely online, surpassing 23 million views. Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026 The coalition earlier this month circulated a petition urging lawmakers to get the critical funding again earmarked for KCK by removing that budget term. Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2026 Fans were outraged when rumors of infidelity on the Irish actor’s part began to circulate. Fleurine Tideman, Glamour, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for circulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circulate
Verb
  • Printmaking and protest Printmaking was one early means of disseminating dissent, said Allison Rudnick, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Within months of the April opening, the bit had been disseminated widely enough that Redditors and Facebook members were strategizing about how to land the dance for themselves.
    Alexandra Starr, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • His retirement, which had been rumored for weeks, is virtually certain to set off a mad dash of Republicans hoping to vie for his seat.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Neon has pre-bought North American rights ahead of the film’s premiere, widely rumored to be in Cannes this year.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Because this month’s layoffs are not confined to tech and spread across airlines, logistics, food production, healthcare, and more, the overall job market may be entering a recalibration period due to cost pressures and the rise of artificial intelligence.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Starting Wednesday, videos and posters will be plastered in subways and public spaces, spreading awareness about the negative components of what can be a disturbing encounter.
    Allen Devlin, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • That means that winemakers across what is now France must have switched from domesticating wild grapes to propagating them directly—that is, cloning grapevines by taking cuttings of the plants to start new groves.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026
  • How could gravitation not be instantaneous between any two objects that would attract; how can this interaction only propagate at a finite speed that was equal to the speed of light?
    Big Think, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • An elderly man near the front of the pack called one of the agents over to him and whispered in his ear.
    Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
  • The misogyny isn’t exactly whispered among Mormon men.
    Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Thirty-one years after winning Best Actor for Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks and the film’s cast are still revealing behind-the-scenes secrets — from a studio standoff over money to a prosthetic lip that nearly destroyed an actor’s career.
    Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Unlike Diana, Kate’s ‘Balmoral Test’ and subsequent visits might reveal her more durable alignment with the family’s dynamics, both in private and public.
    Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Circulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circulate. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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