1
as in surrounded
to form a circle around
everyone circled the lectern and waited their turn to read from the Bible
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in orbited
to travel completely around
with a look of extreme frustration, the commander circled the new recruit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of circled
The ball circled the rim twice before dropping on Friday night, delighting Duke and its fans and crushing LSU.
—
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
According to flight-tracking data online, at least one of the helicopters circled Rock’s estate four times over a three-minute span.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2026
Jones provided and circled a picture that showed the man's luggage on the tarmac after it was pulled from the plane.
—Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
When there was no parking at the building, Allison dropped Daniel and her father off and circled the block to find somewhere to leave the car.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The sounds of friendly chatter echoed through a downtown Boise restaurant as tortilla after tortilla circled down a spiral warming belt.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Despite the setting sun, Park Hill High School’s football field was swathed with light Friday as hundreds of people, young and old, circled around the field’s track.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
An 8-foot great white shark circled a Newport Beach surfer Thursday, prompting a temporary beach closure.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The Ducks circled the wagons to win 6-5 in a bonus frame.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
According to flight-tracking data online, at least one of the helicopters circled Rock’s estate four times over a three-minute span.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2026
Jones provided and circled a picture that showed the man's luggage on the tarmac after it was pulled from the plane.
—Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
When there was no parking at the building, Allison dropped Daniel and her father off and circled the block to find somewhere to leave the car.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The sounds of friendly chatter echoed through a downtown Boise restaurant as tortilla after tortilla circled down a spiral warming belt.
—Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Despite the setting sun, Park Hill High School’s football field was swathed with light Friday as hundreds of people, young and old, circled around the field’s track.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
An 8-foot great white shark circled a Newport Beach surfer Thursday, prompting a temporary beach closure.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
The Ducks circled the wagons to win 6-5 in a bonus frame.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circled
Verb
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Carroll had a nice try in the 62nd minute when a corner kick found Auns, surrounded in front of the goal.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
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Nevertheless, you are surrounded by high energy that is keen to socialize.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The world’s first lunar visitors orbited the moon on Apollo 8.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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That might lead to comparisons with Apollo 8 — the first mission to fly humans to the moon in 1968 — but Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders orbited the moon.—
Robert Z. Pearlman,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some people lamented on social media the empty spaces around a pond that used to be seamlessly encircled by flowering pink blossoms.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The sapphire, encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds, was designed by the famed House of Garrard.—
Jessica Gibbs,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some 80 oil and gas tankers a day typically traversed the Strait of Hormuz before the war, The New York Times noted.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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The landscape—rolling hills, thick forests, and lush river valleys—lends itself to hiking and biking, and the park is also traversed by the Green and Nolin rivers, which offer plenty of opportunities for boating and fishing.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are a couple of sandy beaches, but most are rocky, and the island is ringed by pretty inlets and coves.—
Elizabeth Heath,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Mar. 2026
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About 30 Nike missile bases ringed the Chicago area.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gas prices crossed an average of $4 a gallon nationally this week and just 24% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling that issue, a new CNN/SSRS poll released March 31 found.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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So my fingers were crossed for a lively ride, even if there might be some bumps.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The group is rounded out by singer Jon Davison, bassist Billy Sherwood, drummer Jay Schellan, and keyboardist Geoff Downes, a member of the Buggles who was briefly in Yes during the 1980 Drama period before rejoining on a more permanent basis in 2011.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
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Lilah Pate, Maximo Salas, Kelley Pereira, Marley Aliah, Mark Wystrach, Brooklyn Decker, Hayes MacArthur and Shea Pritchard rounded out the season one cast.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Circled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circled. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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